This church was founded in 1842 and joined the Alabaha Association (Crawfordite) in 1905. They joined the Satilla River Association in 1969. The congregation disbanded in 1991. I’m not sure when the present structure was built.
Below is a good representation of the old-style shuttered windows.
The interiors of all of the Hardshell churches are beautiful testaments to faith and good carpentry.
Bethlehem Cemetery is large and well-maintained, as are all of the Hardshell cemeteries, but is unique in that it contains a pair of grave houses, a real rarity in South Georgia.
Adult Grave House
Child’s Grave House
Note the gopher hole at the edge of this lot. Gopher holes are a sure sign of rattlesnakes, too.
For cemetery and genealogical information:
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gabrantl/cemlistbethlehem-1.html
Some references list this church’s address as Bethlehem Road in Hickox, but if you attempt to take that road from U. S. Highway 301, you will find an overgrown field road that leads to an inaccessible bridge. Since I had to access it from Bachlott, and due to the fact that it’s closer to that settlement, I listed Bachlott as its location.
First “grave houses” I’ve ever seen. Is this a local or family tradition?
Brian, do you remember the time frame of the burials?
There’s one in Wilcox County: https://vanishingsouthgeorgia.com/2010/05/19/grave-house-oklahoma-baptist-church/
I was unable to find any dates on these two…they are an old time tradition but scattered around the South, more common in the mountains, I believe.
There is a well preserved grave house at Shady Grove Cemetery in Mitchell County north of Sale City. A small brass plate affixed states it is a grave of a young girl who passed away in 1912. I have also seen a few grave houses in either Crawford or Taylor County. My understanding is they were reserved for children or young adults who died as a result of a tragic event.
thank you for shareing,i rember as a boy going to bethelem at yearly meeting time with my parents, as well as to most all of the primitive baptist churches through out the alabaha association. it would be great if some how all the abondoned houses could be preserve. especillay symerna it has a lot of history.
Thank YOU for sharing this memory, Frank. I agree and hope they can all last forever.