Warren County Churches Antioch Church Date of construction, late 19th century The abandoned Antioch Church
is perched on high ground near the Allen County line. The church
displays traces of Greek Revival styling with cornice returns,
corner pilasters, and a raking cornice. The rectangular mass is clad
in clapboard siding and features four symmetrical 4/4 elongated
windows. The building rests on limestone piers and is topped with a
rusting, standing metal seam roof. A red brick chimney pierces the
roof on one side. The entry's double doors were hung with strap
hinges. This picturesque structure is near its demise. Barren River
Baptist See Picture
Bays Fork Missionary Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1891 The Bays Fork Church was
constituted on July 5, 1862, but an earlier church by the same name
has been identified as early as 1810 in the county. A log building
that was probably constructed shortly after 1862 predated the
present structure. In 1891 the church united with the local Masonic
order and the nearby chapter of the Farmers Alliance to build the
present structure. The main mass of Bays Fork is two stories and the
front boasts a double-door entrance protected by a gabled portico
and two 6/6 windows on the second floor level. In 1927 the Masons
relinquished use of the second floor. Berea Christian Church See Picture Date of construction, 1870 Berea Christian Church began
in the early 1840s. Congregation members met in homes until property
was purchased in 1845 and a log structure constructed. The church
purchased another site in 1870 and erected the present building.
Until 1965 the building boasted the two front doors so common to
rural churches in the area. Besides remodeling the front entrance in
1965, the church also added a ground floor fellowship hall and three
first floor classrooms. The church cemetery is located to the proper
right of the church; its earliest marked grave is dated 1871.
Bethany Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1868 Organized on February 26,
1848, Bethany is sometimes referred to as the Goshen Church, because
the congregation first worshipped in the nearby Goshen schoolhouse.
After worshipping in a log building, the present structure was built
in 1868 at a cost of $1818. To preclude turmoil in the years
preceding the Civil War the congregation agreed "that there shall
not be any political or public speeches made in the meeting house."
Bethany allowed the local Masonic order "to build a hall over the
church" in order to raise money for the building. The church's
entrance has unusual decorative details, including an urn atop a
pedimented portico trimmed with dentil molding. Bethel United Methodist Church See Picture Date of construction, late 19th century Bethel is one of Warren
County's more picturesque churches. The sanctuary is situated to the
proper left of the bell tower and is distinguished by Gothic arched
windows and a steep-pitched standing metal seam roof. The bell tower
features a centered entrance with a Gothic arched transom. The
cross-crested steeple features two graduated bases, with the bottom
portion louvered. Originally covered with clapboard siding, the
sanctuary features an attractive apse at the rear of the building. A
cemetery envelops the church, and a picnic pavilion is located to
the proper right of the main structure. Blue Level Missionary Baptist Church Date of construction, 1907 Blue Level was organized in
1907 and a frame church soon constructed. This church has the
distinction of having one of the longest pastorates in Warren
County's history; Hubert Cooke served Blue Level from 1943 to 1964.
During the early 1970s, the church added restrooms, remodeled the
sanctuary and re-roofed and underpinned the building's western
section. In the latter part of the 1970s the front vestibule with
its unusual slit windows was added and aluminum siding installed.
Boiling Springs Church of Christ See Picture Date of construction, unknown Perhaps built in the early
part of this century, Boiling Springs' original meeting room is a
rectangular mass with a rear addition, an added portico, and a
shed-roofed addition on the proper left-hand side of the structure.
The roof is capped with a cupola that may have housed a bell. The
front portico protects a centered double-door entrance. A well-kept
cemetery is located behind the building. Boiling Springs
General Baptist See
Picture
Bowling Green
Ward Church of Latter-Day Saints
See Picture
Burton Memorial Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1911 This church was built entirely
by hand with stone quarried from nearby Drakes Creek. No machinery
was used in constructing the church other than a derrick that was
used to hoist the stone slabs in place. The same African American
built the sanctuary in 1910 and the education building in 1950.
Burton Memorial was the beneficent gift of William H. Burton, a
millionaire lumberman and native of Warren County, in honor of his
parents who were charter members of the Drakes Creek Baptist Church.
The cornice, capstones, arched windows, and stone/wrought iron fence
is a spectacular display of craftsmanship. Calvary Church -
Elrod Rd See Picture
Cassidy Free Methodist Church See Picture Date of construction, late 19th century This church features something
know as telescoping, where graduated additions are constructed in
the front or rear of a building. The sanctuary with 6/6 aluminum
casement windows, a steep-pitched roof, and an apse on the rear,
rests on cut stone piers, several of which are visible around the
building's perimeter. A bell used to call members to worship stands
to the proper left of the sanctuary. The proper left also features a
freestanding brick chimney. Castle Heights Church of God of Prophecy See Picture Cedar Bluff
Baptist Church See Picture
Cherry's Chapel
Church See Picture
Christian
Fellowship Church See
Picture Church of God
Bristow See Picture
Church of God
Morgantwon Road See
Picture
Clear Fork Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1872 Clear Fork Baptist Church was
founded in 1833 through the efforts of David L. Mansfield, pastor of
Providence Knob Baptist Church. The congregation, which consisted of
twenty-two white and eleven African American members, worshipped in
a log structure from 1833 to 1872 when a frame sanctuary was
constructed. Interestingly, the church disbanded and remained closed
from 1929 to 1933. Since 1967 the church has built and expanded its
fellowship hall, added two two-story education wings, completed the
vestibule and education space in front of the 1872 church, built a
parsonage, sheathed the entire structure in brick veneer, and
erected a steeple. Cowles Chapel
Missionary Baptist Church See Picture
Dedicated Baptist
Church See Picture
Fairview United Methodist Church Date of construction, 1892 Perhaps no name better fit a
church building than Fairview. Because of its sitting on a flat,
intensely cultivated plain, it is a visual focus on the landscape
for miles around. The projecting centered bell tower is capped with
a lovely metal-shingled steeple accentuated with four peaked vents
and topped with an attractive finial. The front entrance is centered
in a projecting tower and is capped with a peaked tripartite transom
with a handsome hood mold. Four symmetrically proportioned windows
on both sides of the sanctuary are also topped with peaked hood
molds creating a rhythmic pattern from the steeple to the first
floor. Fairview
Missionary Baptist Church See Picture First Baptist
Church Richpond See
Picture First Baptist
Church Woodburn See
Picture Flat Rock United Methodist Church See Picture Date of construction, late 1890s Flat Rock Church was
established on November 9, 1885. The building is a traditional
church design with a front gabled entrance, steep-pitched roof, and
symmetrically placed windows on the sides of the sanctuary which
contain wavy amber glass. The cross-crested steeple is a later
addition to the building. One of the church's distinguishing
features is a round window found in the rear gable which uses red,
blue and amber glass. A door in the rear gable indicates that the
attic area was once accessible and possibly used by a fraternal
organization. Friendship Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1910 Friendship Baptist Church has
antecedent congregations that were known as Doughty's Creek Church
(1829-1846) and Elk Spring Church (1846-1854). It has been known as
Friendship Baptist Church since 1854, and has been at its present
location since that time. It's first building burned in 1910.
Additions to the present building have created a very complicated
roofline, but the original sanctuary's outline is still visible. One
of its more unusual features is the projecting bay that serves as
the entrance to the structure and a similar bay at the rear of the
structure that acts as an apse. Centered in the apse is an exquisite
stained glass that features a green bow and a red heart. Friendship Community Church Date of construction, 1858 This church has antecedents
back to 1810. The church used a pole building until a log structure
was erected in 1835. The present sanctuary which was built with
slave labor, dates from 1858 and has been altered significantly
since that time. The Civil War split the church, with the Union
sympathizers forming Fairview Methodist Church. The Friendship
Methodist Church was closed in 1951. In 1958 a revival was held in
the building and the next year the non-denominational Friendship
Community Church was organized. The cemetery has been in use since
1865. Glen Lily Baptist
Church See Picture
Grace Baptist
Church See Picture
Green Hill United
Methodist Church See
Picture Green Meadows United Baptist Church See Picture Green River Union Meeting House See Picture Date of construction, 1845 Perched atop a picturesque
hill near Richardsville, the Green River Union Meeting House lingers
from neglect. Built in 1845 by Huguenot descendants, this church is
constructed of yellow poplar and features two entrance doors in the
front gable. A large transom crowns each door. Above each door is a
double-hung window at the attic level. A chimney pierces the roof's
ridge near the front of the building. Each side of the sanctuary
features elongated windows with simple framing. The congregation
dates from the early 19th century and is one of fourteen Huguenot
shrines in the country and the only one in Kentucky. Greenwood Baptist
Church See Picture
Greenwood United
Methodist Church See
Picture Halls Chapel Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1858 This church's original
rectangular sanctuary is easily distinguishable with its elongated
4/4 windows. Older photographs of the building display the common
double entry doors (one for males and one for females) with a name
placard placed symmetrically between them in the front gable. This
building was a Methodist Church from its founding until the late
1960s. When the Methodist congregation disbanded, local Baptists
purchased the building and held their first service in 1971. A
number of additions have been constructed in recent years including
the vestibule, fellowship hall, and education space. The church has
a fellowship pavilion to the proper right of the entrance and a
substantial cemetery to the proper left. Highland Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1939 Organized on February 21,
1878, Highland Church worshipped in a poplar log structure from 1878
to 1939 when it was destroyed by fire. According to local lore the
fire began when a tobacco field was being burned on March 9, 1939.
During May 1939 the church met in an old school bus on the church
property. The present building, erected for $1265, was dedicated on
May 22, 1940. Perched atop a scenic hilltop, the church is
constructed of native limestone and features a pedimented portico
and the nostalgic two door entrance. Most rural churches have
consolidated the two entrances into one centered door. Hillview Baptist Church See Picture Iva Baptist
Church See Picture
Jackson Grove Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1937 The Jackson Grove Church was
organized in 1884 with seventeen members. The congregation met in
homes and barns until a church was built in 1891. W.A. Criswell
pastored Jackson Grove during the mid-1930s along with Woodburn
Baptist and Oakland Baptist. Criswell later pastored First Baptist
Church, Dallas, Texas, the nation's largest Southern Baptist church.
In 1937 a fire destroyed the old building, and a new one designed by
Harvey Settle was constructed for $1718. The present building has
common bond masonry, a gabled portico, and an elegant traditional
steeple. Kingdom Hall Jehovah's Witness See Picture Lewis Chapel United Methodist Church See Picture Date of construction, ca. 1877 The Lewis Chapel Church was
founded in 1877 in present day Hadley. The church has recently added
the front extension and steeple and discontinued the use of its
outdoor toilets. An older rear addition is completely hidden when
viewing the church from the front. The original rectangular
sanctuary is still visible with its steep-pitched roof and its 4/4
symmetrical windows. The building has been sheathed in vinyl siding.
An attractive nearby cemetery overlooks the rolling countryside of
northwestern Warren County. Little Zion Church See Picture Date of construction, unknown Because this church is
abandoned, little is know about the congregation or its building. It
now sits unused in a field. The original building was built on piers
and features wide plank wooden siding and a tin roof. A gabled
entrance was added at a later date, and perhaps the shed roofed
addition was erected at the same time. The front door is constructed
of vertical boards. Loving Union CME Church See Picture Mars Hill Church of Christ See Picture Martha's Chapel General Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1923 Martha's Chapel was
constituted in March 1923. The church belongs to the Portland
Association of General Baptists. The beige brick building was
originally a frame structure. This church is another good example of
telescoping, with three separate gable-fronted sections diminishing
in size as they progress to the front of the structure. A more
recent addition stretches across the rear of the building. A
cemetery lies to the proper right of the church, and a gabled,
open-air fellowship pavilion is situated behind the church with an
old outhouse. This church lies directly across a rural highway from
the site of the former Drake Church. Martinsville Missionary Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1890s The Martinsville Church was
established on April 14, 1893 in northeastern Warren County. This
front gabled building has a centered double-door entrance protected
by a large portico. The front doors boast square blue and purple,
pearlescent stained glass with a centered clear diamond inset. Two
small stained glass windows flank the front doors and feature an
open Bible motif creating a rather unusual fenestration for a rural
church. Two larger stained glass windows, which also use the open
Bible, are located on the building's proper right hand side. The
building is topped with a soaring cross-crested steeple. Meadow Land Baptist Church See Picture Mizpah Presbyterian Church See Picture Mt. Hebrew Cumberland Presbyterian Church See Picture Mt. Lebanon
Missionary Baptist Church See Picture
Mt. Lebanon Presbyterian Church Date of construction, 1924 Mt. Lebanon's original
building, which was constructed of poplar logs in 1856, was
destroyed by a tornado in 1924. The present structure boasts a
double-door entrance with paneled doors. A gabled portico is
supported with wrought iron piers. The church features four 6/6
symmetrical windows and retains its tin roof. The outhouse is
located to the proper right of the entrance and a cemetery is
located behind the church. It is one of the few surviving
Presbyterian congregations in the county. Mt. Olivet Cumberland Presbyterian Church See Picture Date of construction, 1845 Organized in 1813 this
congregation has the distinction of being the oldest Cumberland
Presbyterian church in Warren County. Prior to construction of the
present sanctuary in 1845, a log structure housed the congregation.
The church's red bricks were fired less than two hundred yards from
the present structure. This building represents a rare example of
early brick ecclesiastical construction in Warren County, and was
erected for around $1000. The front gable features cornice returns,
applied molding at the roofline, a raking cornice, and a round
arched entrance. The tall steeple is a recent addition to the
structure. Mt. Olla Baptist Church See Picture Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church See Picture Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, late 19th century Although Mt. Pleasant's date
of construction is unknown, its vernacular style and prominent
features indicate it was constructed the last quarter of the 19th
century. This is one of the few frame churches in the county that
has not been covered with vinyl or aluminum siding. A recent gabled
addition projects from the original front gable entrance. The
original sanctuary has a raking cornice and thin pilasters at the
corners. A gabled bell tower that is louvered on three sides tops
the church. The sanctuary has 2/2 elongated windows with large,
clear panes of glass. Each sash has one vertical mullion. Mt. Pleasant Church of Christ See Picture Date of construction, 1890 Several people from the Anna
community went to hear the famed minister Alexander Campbell, preach
near Smiths Grove in 1838. So moved by what they heard, they
returned home and formed the Mt. Pleasant congregation. They
constructed a log building for worship facilities. The log building
was used until the present frame structure was erected in 1890. The
front facade's most unusual features is the set of centered windows
above the front doors. At the rear of the structure a pyramid roof
indicates that a cupola once housed a bell, which was used to call
parishioners to worship and to call men to dig graves in the
church's ample cemetery. Mt. Union Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, late 19th century The exact date of Mr. Union's
construction is indeterminable, but certain features indicate that
it was built in the later part of the 19th century. It has two
additions which telescope out from the front of the sanctuary and a
cross-axis addition at the rear. The sanctuary of this African
American congregation houses four 6/6 double-hung windows and has a
tin roof topped with a small pyramid-roofed bell cupola. The
concrete and cinder block porch is protected by a gabled portico and
is surrounded with a wrought iron balustrade. Mt. Zion Church of Christ See Picture Date of construction, ca. 1890s This congregation was
organized on October 11, 1852 with thirty-one charter members. It
was originally called the Swan Creek Church of Christ, but the name
was changed some time prior to 1892. The building was constructed of
yellow poplar grown on the steep hillside adjacent to the meeting
house. The foundation stones, steps, and mounting blocks were cut
from the bluff behind the structure. William and Mary Brown
worshipped at the Green River Union Meeting House, but a "falling
out" over a doctrinal issue prompted he and several other
congregants to build Swan Creek. Brown supposedly wanted the new
structure to be larger than the Green River facility, thus Mt. Zion
is four feet longer. Mt. Zion United Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1898 This church was originally
constructed as a Free Methodist church. It was built as the result
of the "slight division" of the Flat Rock Methodist Church. Bill
Elrod cut trees on his own property to furnish the lumber for this
building. The sanctuary has a steep-pitched gabled roof. A front
addition boasts double doors of glass which are protected by a
gabled portico with wrought iron supports. The churchyard is fenced
and contains a gabled picnic pavilion and a cemetery that was
started in 1984. New Gasper Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, late 19th century The New Gasper River Church
was constituted in 1856. The front facade features a double-door
entry with paneled doors housing brass push plates. The front
entrance is protected by a gabled portico which features wooden
piers and balustrade and latticework. The building's front gable
displays a raking cornice and applied molding on the roofline. A
large black cross is centered in the gabled end above the portico,
and large black letters are used to identify the church. A
cross-axis wing has been added to the rear of the building.
New Life Church of the Nazarene See Picture New Salem Baptist Church See Picture New Zion Baptist Church See Picture Northside Freewill Baptist Church See Picture Oak Forest Union Church Date of construction, 1879 W.S. and Martha Young deeded
this land to the church on September 18, 1883. The deed indicates
that the "Church House" was already standing and that it was also
being used as a school. The deed also denied use of the land as a
"burying ground," however the cemetery behind the church indicates a
violation of that deed covenant. The church retains its two separate
entrances, its tin roof, and its chimney. The building, which is
constructed of poplar and oak logs, was sheathed in aluminum siding
in 1962. The outhouse on the property is still necessary. The
churchyard includes several large oak trees. Oakland Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1907 This church displays many
picturesque elements including stained glass Gothic arched windows,
keystones above windows in the main entrance, and a standing metal
seam roof. The beautiful three-story bell tower, attached to the
corner of the building, acts as the church's entry, and features
diamond paned windows, circular vents, and a steep-pitched pyramid
roof with tin shingles. The 1983 education complex is an excellent
example of a sympathetic addition to a historic structure.
Oakland Christian Church See Picture Date of construction, 1924 Oakland Christian Church was
organized in 1835. Its present building is an exquisite example of
masonry construction. The structure rests on a rough ashlar
limestone foundation topped with a cut stone water table. The red
brick is laid in common bond. The entrance is centered in a
two-story bell tower. Above the entrance is a beautiful rounded arch
filled with basket weave brickwork and topped with a limestone
keystone. The bell tower is accentuated with limestone beltcourses
and a blocked Norman style roofline. The large front window with its
intriguing masonry surround, limestone details, heavy mullions, and
art glass make this a masterpiece. Old Liberty General Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1916 The Old Liberty congregation,
organized in 1876, was once known as the Greenbriar Church.
Beautifully maintained, this church is sheathed in white vinyl
siding and has what appears to be a cinder block foundation. The
front double-door entrance is centered in the front gable and is
protected by a gabled portico supported with elaborate wrought-iron
piers. The front gable features cornice returns and thin corner
pilasters. Four symmetrical 1/1 windows are located on the sides of
the church and hold clear glass panes. A gabled picnic pavilion is
located behind the building. Old Union Missionary Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1866 Old Union is the oldest,
continuous congregation in Warren County, having been constituted in
1795. Several denominations shared use of its first structure, a log
building. An 1846 deed indicates a later building was constructed of
brick. A frame sanctuary, built in 1866 and remodeled in 1897, has
been incorporated into the present structure. Education space was
added to the building in 1956, the vestibule and restrooms in 1960,
and additional education rooms in 1965. Today the church is
completely bricked. The front doors are topped with a beautiful
stained glass transom that features an open Bible with a sword, the
same motif used in the sanctuary's stained glass windows. Old Zion Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, late 19th century Little is known about this
abandoned church near Simpson County. The building has a single
front entrance. The clapboard siding is generally in good condition
despite lack of maintenance. The front gable has a raking cornice
with returning eaves. The original tin roof is still in place and
the church rests on limestone piers. The building has three
symmetrically placed window openings, but the window lights are
missing. The off-centered rear door is constructed of vertical wood
planks. A red brick common bond, brick chimney pierces the proper
right roof. A small, unkempt cemetery is located behind the
structure. Penns Chapel Church of Christ Date of construction, About 1897 The land for this church was
donated by Martin and Rhoda Wilson from a portion of their farm. In
the deed they mention an old existing church to be torn down and a
new one erected. The old church mentioned in the deed may have been
John Sturgeon's, a methodist minister and the father of Rhoda
Wilson. Pentecostal Church See Picture Plano Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1897 Plano Baptist Church was
constituted in November 1839 with twenty-nine members. The church
was formerly known as Union Church and worshipped as such until
1897. This white aluminum-sided building hosts beautiful Gothic
arched windows filled with an aqua glass. The Gothic arch motif is
used effectively in the entrance transom and the front facade's
louvered vents. The double glass doors are centered in a projecting,
front gabled addition, which is beautifully proportioned to the
steep roofline of the main structure. The church property also
includes an education facility, picnic pavilion, and a fenced
cemetery. Plano Community Chapel See Picture Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, late 19th century This church was organized on
February 6, 1868 with thirty-seven members. The sanctuary boasts a
significant portico protecting the glass double doors. This church
is another splendid example of telescoping, with two progressively
smaller gabled additions to the front and one to the rear of the
building. The attractive steeple sits on a louvered vented cupola.
When the building was sheathed with white aluminum siding, one
member quipped: "It's just like a lady trying to disguise her age by
paint and cosmetics. It has been painted from time to time, and now
has siding on the outside to preserve it." Pleasant Hill Christian Church See Picture Date of construction, late 19th century This congregation is
beautifully sited on a rise between two sinkholes. A long, straight
drive is the only approach to the building. The single double-door
entrance is centered in the gabled end and boasts a large transom.
The building's height is emphasized by its hilltop location.
Building highlights include the original clapboard siding, graceful
cornice returns, thin corner pilasters, and a deep raking cornice.
Outhouses are still located on the property as well as a beautifully
maintained cemetery in the rear. The churchyard is enhanced by a
variety of mature trees. Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church See Picture Pleasant View Baptist Church See Picture Plum Springs Baptist Church See Picture Prices's Springs Jackson Chapel See Picture Providence Knob Missionary Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1852 Providence Knob is one of the
oldest congregations in Warren County and is sometimes called the
"mother Church" because it has helped start at least five other
congregations, including First Baptist Church, Bowling Green. The
church was established in September 1804 with nine charter members.
The worship facility is a commodious structure with three
symmetrical purple and beige mottled stained glass windows. The
paneled double doors are centered under a significant gabled portico
that is raised from the parking level by a series of concrete steps.
The front facade is crowned with a graceful cross-crested steeple.
By Irene Moss Sumpter Contributed By Allice Burns Reynolds Rays Branch Church of Christ See Picture Rays Branch United Methodist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1901 This congregation was founded
in November 1897. They met in a store owned by John Manning who
later gave the three acres the present church was built on. The
structure's cornerstone was laid on Christmas Day 1899 and the
building completed on October 11, 1901. John Starr, the chief
carpenter, built one of the most picturesque churches in rural
Warren County. The entrance is located in the off-center bell tower
and has a cantilevered, gabled portico. The bell tower has a steep
pyramid roof and boasts a stylized arched vent with louvers. The
building's facade has two slightly off-centered windows with
stylized Gothic arches, the same design used for the sanctuary's
windows. Richpond Baptist Church See Picture Richpond Church of Christ Richardsville Baptist Church See Picture Richardsville Church of Christ See Picture Richardsville United Methodist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1947 A.R. Fink designed this
English Gothic structure in 1943. His design was altered, but the
cross-axis entrance and the significant bell tower were always
planned for the structure. Built for under $10,000 the church boasts
a wonderful crow-stepped bell tower that is capped with a tin
pyramid roof crowned with a cross. The church features a severely
steep-pitched roof and attractive casement windows. The sanctuary's
exterior consists of local limestone and is ribbed with capped
buttresses. This masterful structure hugs a busy thoroughfare and is
a pleasing site to behold. Riverside Christian Church See Picture Rockfield Baptist Church See Picture Rockfield Church of Christ See Picture Rockfield United Methodist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1950 Originally this congregation
worshipped with the Cumberland Presbyterians at Pleasant Hill, but
in 1890 the Methodists sold their share of that "union church" and
erected their own building in Rockfield. In mid 1950 the present
structure was constructed of polychrome rock from the area. The
church is built on a small rise and seems to soar above the nearby
street. The double doors are centered in a projecting bell tower
which is topped with a highly unusual, vernacular metal steeple. Two
large one-paned windows that protect stained glass scenes of Jesus
kneeling and praying and the Last Supper flank the front entrance.
Rocky Springs Missionary Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, late 19th century This white aluminum-sided
church is approached down a tree-lined drive. Like many other
churches in the county, Rocky Springs has had significant additions
to the front and the rear of the building. The front of the
structure features a low-pitched wide addition that houses the
centered double glass doors, which are protected by a gabled portico
supported with fluted metal columns. The original sanctuary features
a steep-pitched roof, raking cornice, boxed soffitts, and four 12/12
double-hung windows on each side. The church has a shed roof porte
cochere at the proper right rear. Rolling Springs United Methodist Church Date of construction, 1887 This church was organized in
March of 1897. Eighty-five people participated in raising the poplar
logs for the new building later that year. Like many of the older
churches in the county, the building had a dividing rail between the
center seats. This allowed the women and children to seat on one
side and the men on the other. The young people referred to the rail
as the "teasing pole." The weatherboarding was added near the turn
of the century. The front gable has attractive cornice returns,
pilasters at the corners, applied molding on the roofline, and a
raking cornice. Sand Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church See Picture Scottsville Road Baptist Church See Picture Smiths Grove Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1898 Constituted in 1812, this
church is one of the older congregations in the county. Their first
building was a log structure, but in 1871 they constructed a "union
church" with the Presbyterians. The present building is an
architectural gem and was designed by talented Bowling Green
architect, Creedmore Fleenor. The building is Gothic Revival in
styling and boasts thirty-two stained glass windows. The functioning
bell tower features beautiful louvered vents, limestone detailing, a
castellated roofline, and buttressed corners. Graceful limestone
detailing outlines the large windows. The beautiful standing seam
roof with copper finials enhances the building’s artistic effect.
Smiths Grove Christian Church Date of construction, 1900 The Smiths Grove Christian
Church was organized in October 1895 and built the present building
soon thereafter. The entrance is sheltered by a gabled portico that
is raised a few steps above ground level. To the entrance's proper
left is a large projecting bell tower with vents at the top, but the
aluminum siding obscures the original vent design. The bell tower's
facade has two centered 1/1 windows stacked one atop the other. A
similar set of windows flanks the entrance on the proper right side.
Each of the sanctuary's eight windows has Gothic arches and contains
pebbled glass. Because this building abuts the street, its soaring
roof gives it a distinctive vertical thrust. Smiths Grove Church of Christ See Picture Smiths Grove Presbyterian Church See Picture Date of construction, 1889 This church organized in 1834
and used a log house for worship facilities until 1871 when it
joined the Baptists in building a commodious "union" structure. In
1889 the congregation sold their interest to the Baptists and
constructed the present building. The structure's gabled front has a
lovely cornice of drip corbeling. A large stained glass window is
centered in the front gable at ground level. The bell tower, which
once hosted a significant steeple, features an entrance on two sides
with stained glass Gothic transoms. The sanctuary's windows rest
between double-arched recessed panels divided by limestone capped
buttresses. Smiths Grove United Methodist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1897 This church organized as a
Methodist Episcopal Church South in the early 1870s. The present
building is constructed of rough ashlar limestone from the area. The
projecting bell tower contains two entrances topped with Gothic
arched transoms. The bell tower's top level features louvered vents
and a pyramid roof capped with a tin finial. The gabled facade hosts
a large stained glass window. The sanctuary's windows all feature
spectacular stone lintels and are delineated by stone buttresses.
The facade's proper right corner features an unusual chamfered
corner which contains another entrance. St. Paul AME Church See Picture Date of construction, early 20th century St. Paul African Methodist
Episcopal Church has served Woodburn area African Americans for many
years. The long church sanctuary retains its original wood siding
and is pierced by three 6/6 double-hung windows. A shed roofed
addition has been juxtaposed to the rear of the church. Bathrooms
have been added to either side of the projecting bell tower. The
unusual bell tower is square and includes large louvered vents on
each side at the top. The tower's pyramid roof features flared eaves
and is topped with a highly unusual tin steeple. Stoney Point Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, late 1860s African Americans organized
this church immediately after the Civil War. The facade is marred
somewhat by a large front addition with an unusual roofline, but the
details of the original sanctuary, which was moved across several
fields to its present location several generations ago, are still
apparent. The gabled facade is sheathed in siding, but it once
boasted applied molding at the roofline and a deep raking cornice.
The louvered vent is part of the original construction. The church's
most important feature is the bell tower with louvered vents on two
sides and a pyramid roof with flared eaves supported with decorative
brackets. Three Forks Church of Christ Trinity Free Will Baptist Church See Picture Valleyview Missionary Baptist Church See Picture Wesley's Chapel or Morton's Branch See Picture White Stone Quarry Baptist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1885 The Providence Knob Church
helped organize this congregation in 1876 with thirty-five members.
The first church was located near the White Stone Quarry. A log
church constructed in 1885 is still being used; it was eventually
clad with weatherboard and finally bricked in 1968. The bell located
to the proper left of the front portico was originally located atop
the building. The structure still has its two front doors, which are
covered with a large gabled portico supported by fluted columns. A
cross created with beige bricks was placed in the front gable's
masonry. The church has an amazing picnic shelter complete with
concrete floor and oversize fan. The new sanctuary is located to the
proper right of the old building. White's Chapel United Methodist Church See Picture Date of construction, 1902 This attractive white church
is located near Allen County. The gabled facade has applied molding
at the roofline and a slight overhang. A triangular louvered vent is
centered in the gable's apex. A cantilevered gabled portico protects
the double front doors that are topped with transoms. Because the
church's front section contains different sized windows, it is
possible that it constructed later. The attractive aluminum steeple
is a recent addition. The property boasts a number of of mature
trees and across the street is a well-maintained fenced cemetery.
Woodburn Church of Christ See Picture Woodburn Methodist Church Woodburn Baptist Church Date of construction, 1897 This church was constituted on May 26, 1867, less than four months after the town itself was incorporated. Prior to the building's construction, the church owned 1/4 interest in a "union church" that was located near the present Woodburn Cemetery. The Lewis Lumber Company completed the building’s attractive front addition in 1922. The addition features double 1/1 casement windows with attractive window surrounds, but surely the church's most important architectural feature is the two-story pedimented portico which includes a full entablature and is supported by fluted Doric columns. A large paned transom with frosted details including the church's name tops the double-door entrance. |