This chapel was built for Henry and Clara Ford in 1937 and named for their mothers. Mary was Henry’s mother and Martha was Clara’s mother. Pews and other church furnishings were constructed at the Ford Plantation carpentry shop. The Diocese of Savannah purchased the chapel in 1955 and it became St. Anne Catholic Church. Though St. Anne has a newer home, they still maintain this historic church.
Bailey Carpenter (1910-2009) was Richmond Hill’s best known barber for over 50 years, and is still remembered today. When he died in 2009, just a few weeks shy of his 99th birthday, he had cut the hair of generations of local men.
His barber shop, now located on the grounds of the Richmond Hill History Museum, has stood at several sites over the years. Shirley Hiers wrote the definitive history of Carpenter’s Barber Shop, “A Mayberry state of mind” for the Bryan County News in 22 Sep 2010, and her article is the source for most of the facts shared here. She noted that Mr. Carpenter learned barbering during his time in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and began cutting hair around 1938.
Extensive conversations with long-time Richmond Hill citizens revealed that Annie Miner, who owned a small grocery store near US Highway 17, built a barbershop for Carpenter’s use between her grocery and a neighboring grocery store owned by Bennie Warsaw. And he did well, as he was the only barber in town. This is how he came to first cut Henry Ford’s hair, circa 1938. It was reported that Ford paid $3 for a 35-cent haircut, unheard of during the Great Depression. He even tipped Carpenter $10 on a couple of occasions. He was obviously pleased with his work.
Shirley Hiers wrote that Ford suggested Carpenter move his business into the back room of a two-story building at the corner of Ford Avenue and Constitution Way, but newer sources suggest Ford actually bought the shop and moved it to that location. (I can’t confirm either version). At this time Ford bought Carpenter a new barber chair, which he treasured for the rest of his life. For the next decade, Carpenter worked on the Ford Plantation while continuing his barbering. In the 1970s, the shop was moved across Georgia Highway 144, and moved down the road a few years later. In the 1980s Mr. Carpenter moved it to his backyard. After his death, it landed on the grounds of the Historical Museum.
The Richmond Hill History Museum, in the old Kindergarten Building, is located at the corner of Ford Avenue and Timber Trail.
The Kindergarten Building was constructed in 1940 at the behest of Henry Ford to serve the white children (ages three to six) of Ways Station-Richmond Hill. It featured a kitchen and two classrooms. Dr. Margaret Mustin was the first director of the facility.
The Bakery was built by Henry Ford in 1941 to supplement the adjacent Commissary and was a source of pride for the community. Ira C. Womble, Sr., managed the Bakery during the Ford years.
Ford was an early advocate of healthy eating and his friend, George Washington Carver, provided soybean flour to the bakery for experimental purposes.
The parking lot of the Bakery is like a mini vintage automobile museum and even if you’re not an enthusiast, I believe you’ll be amazed.
This modern commissary was built by Henry Ford in 1941 to provide groceries, fresh meat, vegetables, and general merchandise to the employees of Richmond Hill Plantation. It also served as the market for the local community.
This large building appears to be in the process of restoration, hence the perspective view. According to the Coastal Bryan Heritage Trail, it is known as the Community House and was the largest public structure built by Henry and Clara Ford during their time in Richmond Hill (1926-1951). Local labor was employed in the construction of the Community House, which served a number of purposes. It was situated near the Ways Station School (no longer extant) and offered cooking, sewing, and home economics courses for adults and children, all free of charge. It also hosted dances and other social activities, many of which were personally attended by the Fords.
This structure has never been an annex as best I can tell, but it was known as “the Courthouse” for generations, likely due to the fact it was a polling place. Rural precincts are still known as “court houses” in many Georgia communities. Richmond Hill is a rapidly growing suburb of Savannah today, but its population didn’t surpass 1000 until the 1970s.
A historic marker placed by the Coastal Bryan Heritage Trail in 2012 reads: “This wood-frame structure, situated on a site known since the creation of Bryan County in 1793 as “the Crossroads”, was built in 1939 with funding provided by Henry Ford. The building came to be familiarly called “the Courthouse” by local citizens. For many years it was used for civic meetings and as the official Richmond Hill voting site. The local Masonic Lodge and Order of the Eastern Star organizations held their meetings in this facility. Later, city and county governmental offices were housed here.”
Zion Baptist Church was established in 1899 and was an important part of the African-American community of lower Bryan County for half of the 20th century. It originated as a wood frame prayer house. Prayer houses, [also known as praise houses], which first appeared on plantations, were characteristic landmarks of the Gullah-Geechee communities that dominated the Georgia Coast before the Great Migration. Few have survived.
According to Eugene Harris, who attended this church in his youth, the present structure was built circa 1950. Church members who worked in the cement business chose to rebuild with cinderblock for the longevity the material would provide. By this time, however, the congregation was dwindling. This quaint little building was abandoned in the early 1960s. In 2019, Mr. Harris, who returned to Richmond Hill after service in the Air Force, decided to restore the prayer house, which was overgrown with weeds and brush and in deteriorating condition. He took on the project as a one-man job but soon got assistance from the community, who raised nearly $5000 and contributed countless hours and materials to the effort. It is a living monument to the culture it represents, ultimately a place for prayer and quite reflection. And it’s proof that one man’s vision can save a piece of overlooked history for everyone to appreciate.
This is one of several important vernacular houses in Gardi. This example appears to have originated as a single-pen form, with an added small wing. The wing has the unusual convenience of its own door opening to the porch.
I’ve noticed this neat handmade sign many times driving between Jesup and Brunswick over the years, but until recently had never seen the associated church. Thanks to Pastor Evelyn Jackson, the first woman to lead the congregation, for making me aware of this interesting place and for sharing its history.
Pastor Jackson writes: “The Smith Grove Baptist Church was…organized in…1923 and named after its founder, the Rev. Squire Q. Smith and his wife Hattie Smith. He served as Pastor from 1923-1928. He passed away in 1928. The church was originally a wood structure.“
“The [present] church building was constructed by two former Pastors who are now deceased. I became the first female pastor in May of 2003. Renovations have been done in the sanctuary and kitchen area since I became the Pastor. The church membership is small and the members are the descendants of Rev. Squire Q. Smith.”
“Additionally, there is a history of well-known singers who originated with this family. There was first The West Sisters. They were the granddaughters of Rev. Smith. Then The West Singers, which were a combination of the original sisters and nieces. They no longer sing together.”
“The Mighty Fives originated with the sons of the West Sisters. They started as youth singing all over the area. They are now in their fifties and still singing occasionally.”
The church has services on Second Sundays at 11AM.