Saturday, July 25, 2009

Walnut Grove Methodist, Pulaski County

This is the little church that inspired this blog. These first photographs were taken last February.
Walnut Valley Methodist was built in 1885, just south of Mt. Chenal on Ferndale Creek. The Sunday school addition was added in the 1950s. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

This is Barney Taylor. He is the man largely responsible for bringing the church back to life. He has spent untold hours on the project. He says he's retired, but don't you believe it.

He hired me to reglaze the windows. Here's what one looked like before the paint was scraped off. Barney located old, wavy window glass to replace the broken pieces and you can see the distorted reflection in the shot. You can also see the old church piano sitting inside.

This is what the church looks like today. The pews are in and much of the landscaping is complete. Doesn't it look like an ideal location for a small wedding? It can be rented for one; just call 224-6047.

This is Walnut Grove's parent church, Highland Valley United Methodist, a few miles east, inside Little Rock's city limits. Their funds, along with Barney's sweat and toil, made the restoration happen.

No comments: