This is a nice example of the two-steeple [or two-tower] church form widely associated with rural African-American congregations. Though other churches use this form, it has come to symbolize Freedmen churches and other Black congregations.
This has been identified as Mt. Sinai Holiness Church or Mt. Sinai Holiness Church of God. Though it was built circa 1945, the congregation may be older than that date. It was apparently in use as late as the early 2010s but has been abandoned for some time.
Many churches of this type have been modernized in the past 20-30 years and that has often resulted in the loss of their towers. Often, when a newer church is built, these great old buildings are left to the elements. I’ve been documenting them for fifteen years and still look for them everywhere I go.
Though the present structure was built circa 1915, Donald Jenkins states that “Noah’s Ark was founded in 1866. The two prominent founders were Caesar Williams and Henry Whitaker.”
The years just after the Civil War saw the emergence of many Black congregations, as newly emancipated men and women could finally worship on their own and not under the watchful eye of plantation owners. Historic Black church structures are some of the least documented and most endangered places within our built environment, and I’m fascinated by their architecture. It is usually vernacular but embellished with individual interpretations of Gothic and other common church styles, as is the case with Noah’s Ark A. M. E.
Regular services haven’t been held here since 2003, when the congregation merged with Saint Paul A. M. E. in nearby Summertown, but the remaining members and their families have obviously taken pride in this wonderful old building. A new roof is a sign that it will be preserved.
This has been identified as a cold storage facility and one source says it was owned by the Swainsboro Ice Fuel Company and built circa 1930. I believe that date is incorrect, since this style didn’t even emerge until the mid-1930s. I’m not sure about the ownership. Charles T. Elliott, Jr., thinks it may have been owned by Otis Price. All of the examples I’ve previously documented date to the 1940s. For some reason, this was one of the most popular designs for cold storage facilities, often referred to as meat lockers or freezer lockers.
Cold storage facilities were important resources before the 1950s, when home freezers rendered them largely unnecessary.
The Streamline Moderne style is derivative of Art Deco, and represented a radical, even futuristic, style for its day. Surviving examples are relatively rare in Georgia and should be preserved. This structure has had many tenants over the years, including a wholesale company, beauty salon, pool hall and bar. It is presently used for storage.
This structure was built circa 1900 and has been home for many years to Saint Paul A. M. E. Church and is now also home to the surviving congregation of Noah’s Ark A. M. E. [I’ll share a photo of the amazing Noah’s Ark church soon.] I haven’t been able to identify any other church associated with this building, but the style is not very consistent with other A. M. E. churches I’ve documented and wonder if it may have originally been home to a white congregation. Most A. M. E. churches of this era featured steeples at the front of the building.
According to a “Church of the Week” feature in the Crossroads Chronicle, an online local news source for Emanuel County: Donald Jenkins at Saint Paul/Noah’s Ark AME Church…[stated] Saint Paul was established in 1874. Some of its earliest members were Edmond Williams, Jerry Wiggs, and Andrew Brown, to name a few.
I was out with a friend photographing churches all over Emanuel County yesterday and was stopped in my tracks when we came upon this gem, in Summertown. I knew right away it was a schoolhouse but of course, wanted to know more. It’s on private property and is electronically monitored for trespassing, so first and foremost, it can only be observed from the road.
I’ve only been able to discern that it was known as the Summertown School. The Georgia Historic Resources survey states that it was built circa 1930 and was used until the 1960s-1970s, but that doesn’t seem likely since a more modern brick school, a street away, was built [likely by the WPA], circa 1940. My guess is that this school dates to circa 1920 and probably housed grades 1-11 in its four classrooms. When the newer school was built, it’s possible that this building housed elementary grades, or, more likely, was used as the Black school. [Update: Cynthia Jennings discovered that the school was built in 1907].
A restoration of the building was attempted in the 1970s but never completed and I believe it has been vacant since. It would be nice to see it restored as I’m sure there are still some people around who remember going to school here.
I made this photo in 2010 and had nearly forgotten about it. I’m re-editing all of my Emanuel County photos and realized I’d not published this photo because I wasn’t sure what I thought of the obvious “remodeling”. I’ve since learned that it was known as Hall’s Grocery, though I’m not sure if that was the first business located here. It faced the railroad and was a busy place in Summertown’s heyday. The cinderblock was added circa 1988 to protect the wooden structure underneath, as I understand it. The upper level was used for storage and the door on the gable was used to hoist items in and out as needed.
The name of this creek has always fascinated me and I don’t think there’s agreement on what it means. It’s possibly based on a Native American name but I just can’t find anything about it. I somehow don’t think it’s related to sweet potatoes. A relatively small stream, it rises northwest of Swainsboro and joins the Ohoopee River near Oak Park.
Local historians have referred to this as the Barwick House but it is best known as the Elizabeth Durden House. Elizabeth Ann Barwick Durden (16 December 1820-20 December 1909) was the daughter of Nathan B. Barwick, Sr., (3 August 1782-5 April 1868) and Elizabeth Whiddon Barwick (1782?-October 1880). Theirs was a large and prosperous family of pioneer settlers who came to Emanuel County (Bulloch, at the time), from Dubose Ferry, South Carolina, circa 1810. His obituary noted that he lived in the fork of the Ohoopee River and that he was buried on the land on which he lived, which is not this property. Elizabeth Ann Barwick married William Durden (15 August 1817-October 1864) in 1838 and they likely built the house soon thereafter. They had 12 children, 11 of whom lived to adulthood.
NOTE: The house is located on private property and is not accessible to the public in any way. I’m grateful to two of Mrs. Durden’s great-great grandsons, Hudak Hendrix and Von Wilson, for arranging my visit, and to the property owners for allowing me to photograph it.
It is likely the second oldest surviving structure in Emanuel County [after the Rountree House near Twin City] and may be slightly older than the date I have indicated, perhaps as early as 1838.
Original section of house, southeast corner
It has remained in the ownership of Mrs. Durden’s descendants throughout its existence and their good stewardship has made possible its survival.
Original section of house, front
It is of statewide importance as a vernacular dwelling, especially since the owners have been sensitive to retaining the original walls and footprint of the house.
Original section of house, northeast corner. Note the lack of chinking on the rear wall, possible because of the shed kitchen behind it.
As it stands, even with the modifications, it’s one of a very small number of log structures of this era remaining in Georgia.
Original section of house, southwest corner. Windows have obviously been replaced, but have the same placement as the originals as best I can tell. .
Shed rooms [next two images] and a modern chimney have been added to the original single-pen log house over its long history.
Shed room [bedroom], west side of house
Shed rooms were common additions to utilitarian structures and were usually porches which were transformed into rooms by the addition of new walls.
Shed room [kitchen], rear of house
The kitchen is of particular interest, as it contains the original rear wall of the house. As was the convention of the time, a free-standing kitchen originally served the Durdens but it has long since vanished.
The front porch, though featuring a new roof and floor, appears to retain its original footprint, as well.
The photograph below has become an iconic Georgia image. It graces the cover of Vanishing Georgia, [no relation to my website], a book highlighting the amazing collection of vintage photographs of the same name held at the time of publication by the the Georgia Department of Archives and History and now in the stewardship of the University of Georgia.
Elizabeth Durden with her grandson, Verdie Ricks, on her front porch, circa 1900. Copy of a family photograph, shared with permission.
This farmhouse is typical of the common central hallway form, with additions. It may have been part of what was once known as Gray Mule Farm, but I can’t confirm that at this time.
The structures of this historic farm have long been abandoned but indicate that it was once a very prosperous operation. The Victorian farmhouse (above) is nearly gone.
