Red Hill Christian Church Rises From the Ashes of June Fire

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A lightning strike took out the historic Red Hill Christian Church near Richland on 21 June 2023. By early December, the congregation had already rebuilt it in the same manner as the original, and it looks like they’re nearly ready to move back in and begin holding services.

The first Christian Church [Disciples of Christ] in Georgia was constituted at this site in 1837. Services were held early in the 1830’s by Rev. George Lynch Smith, first in a brush arbor and later in a log schoolhouse. It was first known as Providence Chapel. The structure lost in June was built in 1857 during the pastorate of Rev. Smith’s son, Dr. Jubilee Smith, who served the congregation until 1895. It was originally a two-story building, with the second floor serving as home to Smith Lodge No. 233, F. &. A. M. Dr. Smith organized Co. I, 17th Georgia Infantry here in August 1861. The second floor was removed much later; I’m not sure when the name was changed to Red Hill.

Coker Grave House, Stewart County

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John & Mrs. Coker’s Baby, 1900 – Red Hill Christian Church Cemetery

I never get tired of finding grave houses. Though they’ve been around nearly as long as human history itself, in one form or another, most of the examples I’ve found in Georgia have a decidedly Victorian appearance, like this one in Stewart County’s historic Red Hill Christian Church Cemetery. Elements of the grave house have probably been restored or replaced, as is often the case with these curious monuments.

The simple ledger stone that marks this burial reads: John & Mrs. Coker’s Baby – 1900. Presumably, the child died in infancy. Mr. Coker’s obituary in the Stewart-Webster Journal, 25 March 1943, notes that John Martin Coker (1866-1943) had lived in or near Richland most of his life, and was well known as a miller.. He was in charge of the Usher mill near Lumpkin for a long period and for many years operated the Richland gin. He had been a member of the Christian Church for more than fifty years. Mrs. Coker was Fannie Coker, but that is about all I’ve learned about her.

Midland, Georgia

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Midland Lodge No. 144, F. &. A. M.

Midland is an historic community, located northeast of Columbus. Like other rural settlements of Muscogee County, absorbed by the creation of Fort Moore [formerly Fort Benning] and city-county consolidation in 1971, it has often been overlooked. A post office opened in Midland in 1887. The area is growing today, but seems rural in comparison to most of Muscogee County.

The Midland Lodge No. 144, F. & A. M. was established in 1851 and it’s still active. The building dates to sometime around the turn of the century. It’s the only public landmark I could locate here. A sign across the road advertised an all-you-can-eat breakfast being sponsored by the lodge.

Greek Revival Cottage, Muscogee County

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Though I’ve been unable to locate any history related to this charming Greek Revival cottage in rural Muscogee County, I’m confident that it dates to the antebellum period, likely the 1840s or 1850s. It appears to be in largely original condition and is perfectly maintained. I believe it was once the center of a large working farm or plantation, as it still has quite a bit of acreage surrounding it. It’s one of the nicest residential structures in Muscogee County outside Columbus.

Upatoi, Georgia

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This building appears to have been a general store, or perhaps a restaurant, but I’m inclined to think it was a store. There may have been gas pumps out front, as well. When I can’t locate the proper resources, I just have to guess. Nonetheless, it’s one of the few “public” buildings remaining in the historic Upatoi [you-pa-toy] community. Surveys have dated it to 1933.

It’s believed that Upatoi was first settled circa 1790 as a satellite of nearby Cusseta Town, perhaps in some sort of support capacity. The area was dominated by Indigenous peoples at the time. It’s named for nearby Upatoi Creek, which rises in Talbot County and flows southwestward to form the border between Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties before joining the Chattahoochee River at Fort Moore. As to the origin of the name Upatoi, I won’t venture a guess except that it’s indigenous. A post office opened in the rural settlement in 1829 and remained open until 2017. [This building might have even served the purpose at one time.] Upatoi was annexed by the city of Columbus during the consolidation with Muscogee County in 1971.

Queen Anne Cottage, Upatoi

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There are several historic homes in Upatoi. This beautifully maintained Queen Anne is one of my favorites. An historic resources survey dates it to the 1920s but I believe it was more likely built in the 1880s or 1890s. It’s a representative example of the form and though I’m not sure if the dormers are original, they look like they may be. Later Victorians like this were inspirations for the less ornamented New South Cottages that were popular from the 1890s to the 1920s.

Winged Gable House, Box Springs

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I’d guess this unusual house dates to the late 19th or early 20th century, and likely once featured Folk Victorian elements. The left and right gables are of a different style, essentially independent of the front gable. It appears a large front porch has been lost over time, further altering the look of the house. There are very few survivors of the early days of Box Springs, and this is a nice example.

J. Wood Browning General Merchandise, Box Springs

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At the extreme southwestern corner of Talbot County is the historic village of Box Springs. According to Ken Krakow: The community was named for a local spring that was boxed in and used as a watering stop for the railroad. Pipes were run from the “boxed-spring” to a water tower adjacent to the tracks. The name Boxed Spring was later changed to Box Springs, as it was easier to pronounce. A post office was established in 1853 though the area was likely settled earlier. The town was incorporated in 1913 and dissolved by 1931. Little of that era remains here today.

This old store, built in the early 1900s, sits in a thicket of privet and has always intrigued me; I may even have a family connection to Mr. Browning but need to research further. As the place succumbs to nature, I can only imagine it in its heyday, when the train stopped at the nearby tracks and people came through here enroute to and from Columbus.

William Benjamin Hart House, 1899, Georgetown

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I photographed this large Queen Anne home in 2014. Since then, the trees have been removed but the fence remains. It’s an imposing presence on Main Street in tiny Georgetown. It was built by William Benjamin Hart, Sr. Mr. Hart was born in 1859, but according to Findagrave, his date of death is unknown [at least at that resource]. His wife was Anna Amanda Moore Hart (1864-1926). The house was still owned by the family as late as the 1970s, and may still be.

Evans Chapel C. M. E. Church, Webster County

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Evans Chapel is located in the Church Hill community, just over the Marion County line in Webster County. I believe the present structure replaced a simple wood frame chapel, but don’t know when it was built, nor any other history of the congregation.

Mrs. Geneva Hill (?-12 November 1962) – Cox Funeral Home.

There is a large well-maintained cemetery beside the church. [It’s sometimes referred to as Churchill Cemetery.] I located two memorials made by Eldren Bailey, who I believe to be Georgia’s most prolific black creator of funerary art in the 20th century. Sadly, much of his creative work has been lost, so his cemetery memorials, made to order, represent his legacy. I document them whenever I find them.

Herman Alonzo Walker (1934-1968) – Haugabrooks Funeral Home

Mr. Walker was an Army veteran. He died in Atlanta, so I’m unsure if it was related to the Vietnam War, but he also has a government headstone in addition to this one.