Fairview Missionary Baptist is a historic Black congregation in eastern Ben Hill County. It was established in 1912 by Rev. W. C. Tucker. The present structure was built between 1994-1999.
A small cemetery is located across the road from the church and contains stenciled concrete headstones alongside a few commercial examples. The following are meant to be representative and in no way a complete documentation. I believe some have been lost to vegetation in the surrounding woods.
Among legible headstones, A. J. and Laura Brown’s indicate they were among the oldest members. They were likely born enslaved and were in their early 60s when Fairview was established.
Laura Brown (Circa 1864-25 July 1914)
No specific birthdate for Laura is given, though the memorial notes that she was 50 when she died.
John Jackson (August ? 1897-4 October 1943)
Mr. Jackson was a veteran, but details were not readable on his memorial. The date of his death may indicate that he was a casualty of World War II.
Willie L. Shepherd (2 August 1916-19 November 1985)
Mr. Shepherd was a Staff Sergeant in World War II. No other service details are given on the memorial.
Robert “Sonny” Graham, Jr. (1939-?)
The shoes and figurines are a tribute.
Autry Moton (11 January 1943-29 March 2002)
This is one of the more modern commercial stones in the cemetery.
Following is a random gallery of some of my favorite photographs of Youngs Chapel Methodist Church in Ben Hill County. Since its no longer with us, I thought I’d share. I’ve made around a thousand photographs over the years, so it was difficult to pick just a few. I hope you enjoy them as much I enjoyed making them.
When I first photographed Youngs Chapel, in 1999, I was just beginning to appreciate historic architecture around my hometown of Fitzgerald.
May 2008
I was nearly 30 at the time, and though I had spent far too much time rambling the back roads of the area, Young’s Chapel was new to me. It was proof that even in a small county, there was always something new to discover.
April 2009
At the time, the church still had a wooden sign on the front porch, the roof was still intact, and most of the wall boards were intact. The pews were also still present, before being removed by a family member for safe keeping.
July 2010
I learned of the existence of the church through an article in our local paper, and armed with a good county road map (this was before our phones became our navigators), I easily located it.
May 2011
Over time, Youngs Chapel became an anchor in my travels around Georgia. Even after I had documented all 159 of the state’s counties, it held a special place in my heart.
June 2011
On visits home to Ben Hill County, I usually made the 18 mile trek out to its northwestern corner to “check on the church”.
March 2012
For me, it was a symbol of everything I wanted to photograph, the forgotten simple places people built to serve immediate and utilitarian needs.
November 2012
When I went to check on the church at Thanksgiving, I had a heightened sense of worry. When I turned onto Youngs Chapel Road off the Lower Rebecca Road, I had a strange feeling, and as I got closer, I couldn’t see the familiar roofline in the distance.
March 2013
Upon my approach, my worst fears were confirmed. Youngs Chapel, already weakened by a tornado and long abandoned, had collapsed sometime earlier. Somehow, I knew before I arrived that it was gone.
April 2013
And so ends the long history of just another country church, lost not to lack of concern but to the elements.
October 2014
The place wasn’t just an anchor for my travels and discoveries. It was also the center of a long lost community and held a special place in the hearts of the families who sustained it for over a century.
May 2015
People moved away but their descendants still came and kept its grounds manicured and its cemetery free of weeds and brambles as long as they could.
August 2015
Youngs Chapel was built in the waning years of the 1800s and was the heart of the long forgotten Ashley community.
August 2016
Congregants first met in a brush arbor circa 1875.
February 2017. Tornado damage.
They built this church, but moved it to its present location about three miles from its first home, circa 1890.
July 2022
The land was donated by John Thomas Young, an area pioneer, and may have been named for him. It possibly had another name when it was organized.
November 2025
The congregation dwindled over time, as older members died and younger generations moved away.
November 2025
The last renovations to Youngs Chapel were made in 1971 and by 1974, the church was closed.
I like to think that the members would be shocked by all the interest in this little building that was their church home, but I think they would be proud of what they built and how long it lasted.
I am sad for the building and bemoan its loss, but I’m thankful that I was able to document it and share it with the wider world.
This church in the Fitzgerald Cotton Mill was named for Callie Belle Phillips Garbutt (1869-1940), who, with her husband Moses Wadley Garbutt (1869-1937), came to Fitzgerald from Emanuel County. The Garbutt family were prominent entrepreneurs involved in many of the businesses that dominated the economic backbone of South Georgia at the turn of the last century, including timber, cotton mills, and real estate. Though I haven’t been able to locate a history of the congregation, the property was likely given to the church by the Garbutt family and therefore named for Mrs. Garbutt.
Callie Garbutt Baptist Church was established in 1907 and the first church building was of typical wood frame construction, as best I can discern. The present structure was built in 1978; it was designed by John Dennis, Jr., who was the third generation of a prominent Macon architecture firm.
With so much devastation in the path of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Helene, I wanted to share just a few images of what I saw while driving between Fitzgerald and the coast on Friday. There are far better images by photojournalists who have been on the ground in the effected areas. And the stories are heartbreaking. I was fortunate to get power back about 18 hours after the storm, but went to my parents’ house for a few days to use their WiFi. The devastation I saw in Telfair, Jeff Davis, and some of Appling County was something I never hope to see again in my lifetime.
This old cinderblock church, Union Methodist, was built in 1946 if I recall correctly, and is located near the Ben Hill County Landing and the Ocmulgee River. It’s been an inactive congregation for quite some time, and likely won’t be rebuilt. I have an earlier photograph of the church but can’t locate it at this time. As soon as I do, I’ll add it to this post.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. The older I’ve gotten, the more I understand that holidays aren’t about gifts but about the togetherness of family and memories of our traditions at this time. One of my traditions is riding around my hometown with my mother on Christmas Eve and looking at all the Christmas lights in the parks, in peoples’ yards, and listening to holiday music on the radio. This was my church when I was growing up, and it looked particularly nice last night as we made our annual drive. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year. Stay safe.
I believe this was one of Fitzgerald’s earliest African-American churches, but I haven’t been able to locate the name of the original congregation. The structure has been altered since I made this photograph in 2010, but it remains one of the city’s most architecturally significant vernacular churches. The steeple is unusual.
As I’ve noted before, the Queensland community in northern Ben Hill County was settled before the county seat of Fitzgerald.
The church dates to the early 1880s at the latest, a typical foundational time for churches in Freedmen’s communities.
The church is one of the most historic and perhaps the most significant surviving African-American religious structure in Ben Hill County. It is well maintained.
The stained glass windows and the steeple are distinguishing architectural features of the church.
Mountaintop Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery
The earliest known burials at Mountaintop date to the early 1880s, which is typical of churches established in the first generation after Emancipation. These are representational and not meant to be complete.
Artee Williams (16 August 1900-11 May 1902)Deacon M. B. Coffee (12 October 1857-24 August 1915)
Deacon Coffee was the Treasurer of the Ocmulgee Baptist Association, with which Mountaintop was affiliated at the time.
Lonnie Brown (7 April 1879-11 June 1963)
Lonnie Brown was one of the leaders of the Queensland community throughout his life and one of the main roads in the neighborhood bears his name today.
Stewart FamilyJames Charlton & Eva CharltonAvary Tarlova Amy Staley (d. 3 March 1953)Rosa Hughes (15 February 1891-19 July 1977)
Salem Baptist, established circa 1896, may be the oldest Black congregation in Fitzgerald. The present structure was erected in 1922. Reverend M. J. Morris was pastor. The board of deacons included J. E. Varnado, G. T. Cason, J. G. Crumley, H. Buchanon, E. L. Smith, R. D. Dixson, and M. T. Taylor. Reverend J. H. Johnson was pastor in charge of the construction.
Salem Baptist Church was also home to many years of the graduation exercises for Monitor High School, located across the street.
