"The Littlest Church in America"

If you Google the smallest church in America, many candidates are presented. I was curious because I remembered seeing a sign for "The Smallest Church in America" alongside I-95 when I would be driving up North. This time, I was determined to stop and see it. As luck would have it, when I went up to Boston this time, I didn't follow the same route, so I didn't see the sign, which I thought was in South Carolina. On my way home, I came down from Buffalo and took a different route. Eventually, while driving through Georgia, in between the deluges, I saw the sign. This time, I was determined to see it.





The church was built on land donated by Mrs. Agnes Harper in 1949. She didn't have much money but wanted a place where any traveler or anyone else could stop by and worship God as they deemed fit. A Reverend G. W. Ward became its pastor and offered services there. It happened every third Sunday, but they also did baptisms and weddings. Reverend Ward also maintained the church after Mrs. Harper died. He died in 2003, and it wasn't clear who the pastor is now or if there is one. A Mrs. Effie Young became the caretaker according to the brochure in the church. It exists on donations (I left money in the collection box--which sometimes does get robbed). Its income was about $300 a year. Apparently, the McIntosh County Chamber of Commerce took it under its wing and looks out for it. I want to pursue that and see if I can help out.

The building, as you can see, is tiny, about 10 X 15 feet. There are wooden chairs inside, and it could hold about 10 people. There are stain glass windows, which have sometimes been stolen or broken by vandals. It is never locked, and when you open the front door, the lights go on. It does look like it is still in use. There is also a notebook that people have signed. The trend seems to be to sign in memory of a departed loved one, so I left a memory of my late wife, Alberta Mary.

Not being overly (or overtly) religious, I admire what Mrs. Harper did and started and the tenaciousness of the little church. If you are ever driving up or down I-95 through Georgia, get off at exit 67, and visit the church. It's just down the road and a century back.