Category Archives: Summertown GA

Saint Paul-Noah’s Ark A. M. E. Church, Summertown

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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.

Summertown School, 1907, Emanuel County

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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.

Hall’s Grocery, Circa 1899, Summertown

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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.

Bailey House, 1904, Summertown

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This has been tentatively identified as the Wallace Bailey House. If this is incorrect, I’ll update.

Summertown United Methodist Church, 1881

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This historic church ceased to exist as an active congregation in 1995 and sat abandoned for seven years. Steve Head restored the church in 2002 and today he and group of trustees own the structure and maintain it, along with its cemetery.

Summertown Baptist Church, Circa 1879

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Summertown Baptist was originally constituted as the Baptist Church of Christ at Garbutt’s and later called Garbutt’s Baptist Church for its founder, George Garbutt.  G. W. Smith was the first pastor. The church covenant was adopted by George Garbutt, J. Ashley Brown, Seth Coleman, Hannah Rountree, and Mollie F. Brown, on 6 December 1879. This structure was moved to its present location in 1913 on land donated by Jere M. Snellgrove and Wilton Whitehead.

Hip Roof Cottage, Circa 1910, Summertown

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As of 2023, this house is no longer standing.