sign, Little Rock

...and watch for sinkholes.

Happy New Year.

Trinity Chapel, Carlisle

Window designed by CiCi Davidson, built by me.
Merry Christmas

Abundant Life Worship Center, Dumas

There seems to be an effort underway to de-churchify churches. Many are losing their steeples and being classified as "worship centers."

church web site

unknown, Prairie County

I took this picture two months ago south of DeValls Bluff. It's what you call your basic one room country church. Fits the landscape perfectly.

Correction: Pris Weathers, who hosts the Arkansas Ties website, informs me that this is not a church at all, but the Idlewild schoolhouse, built in 1921. She writes about it here. Thanks, Pris.

Before posting this, I wondered whether it was a church or a school, so I went to my 'Roads of Arkansas.' The maps there have symbols designating churches. Here's the map showing Hwy. 33 south of DeValls Bluff. Unless I noted the wrong road crossing, they got it wrong as well. Since they draw upon county maps, I assume those are incorrect, too.

To be fair to all involved, I read the Idlewild Home Demonstration Club has allowed the building to be used for church services, so that may qualify its presence here.

And here is one more post which proves I was not the first to be confused about whether it was a church or a school.

First United Methodist, Clarksville

Impressive bell tower.

Nice stonework.

Again, there was barely enough
sunlight left that day to take pictures.

Church established 1836
Built 1956

church web site

1st United Methodist, Mountain View

waning sun

St. Augustine Episcopal, Fort Smith

There is no sign, no cornerstone, and apparently no congregation for this little corner church. (Photo by Jim King)

(Thanks to the anonymous commenter who straightened me out.)

church web site

Holly Grove Presbyterian, Monroe County

This church turns 130 years old next year.

It's on the National Historic Register.

The windows show a fine mix of green, amber and blue opalescents, cut randomly. I'm sure they're beautiful from the inside, but they look great in reflected light as well.

First Baptist, Augusta

Established 1873
Erected in 1925

St. Andrew's Episcopal, Marianna

Looks like Mission Revival style to me, which may or may not date it to the early part of the last century. How's that for definitive?

A pretty church compound with a kind of European feel.

BTW; yes, the main entry door is red.

St. Paul's Episcopal, Batesville

There has been an Episcopal church at this site since 1866, although I'm not sure when this particular church was constructed.

As is the custom with Episcopal churches, the front door is painted red. I found this interesting blog entry that attempts to explain why this is so.

church web site

Damascus United Methodist

The right side added on, no doubt.
Unique belfry/steeple/entrance.

First United Methodist, Carlisle

Visually, there's a lot going on with this church.

It was built in 1922.

First Baptist, Mayflower

As for modern church construction, some of it works and much of it doesn't. For me, this works.

The roof over a roof give the building a feeling of expansiveness, as well as protection. I wouldn't have gone with the all-white steeple, though.

Immanuel Lutheran, Alexander

There has been an Immanuel Lutheran congregation in Alexander for one hundred thirty years. I'm not sure when the present church was built.

Wesley Chapel, Cleveland County

I'm grateful to Dan Thornhill for sending me these pictures of this fine old church. It's located between Rison and Star City on Hwy. 63 (which, after all these years, I still want to call Hwy. 15.)

I'm not sure when it was built, but it certainly has some considerable history, judging from the looks of the cemetery on the grounds. It appears to have had continuous use as it's very well maintained.

In trying to find out something about the church, I discovered there are at least six other Wesley Chapels in Arkansas and countless others the world over. John Wesley is, of course, known as the founder of the Methodist Church, but his teachings laid the groundwork for many other denominations.

Many rural churches share the characteristic of having twin entrances. I suspect that even though the original intent way back when was to provide separate entrances for men and women, it simply became an easier way to get in and out of the church on Sunday morning when social dawdlers often blocked the way.

Thanks for sharing, Dan.

Mt. Zion Presbyterian Church, Lincoln County

I drove a truck twice a week past this church back in the early 90's and always admired its simple elegance. It's about all that remains of Relfs Bluff, which straddles the line between Lincoln and Drew Counties on Hwy. 425.

The church was established in 1859 and built in 1925. I can find very little of its history, or even that of Relfs Bluff. It is the only church in Lincoln County on the National Register of Historic Places.

Here's a photo taken through the front door.

To the north by the cemetery stand these curious cement monoliths. I surmise they supported wooden planks and served as a communal picnic area. If anyone can verify or refute this theory, the floor is yours.

non-church, Monticello, Drew County

Driving around in Monticello last month, I passed this tiny faux church and naturally had to stop and photograph it. It was built in a sort of folksy Pennsylvania Dutch style, I guess you'd call it.

It's the office for the Drew County Abstract & Title Company.

1st Baptist, Monticello

church web site

1st Presbyterian, Monticello

The congregation formed 150 years ago this year.
Church was built in 1956.
church web site

First Baptist, Little Rock

Tomorrow is Independence Day. I drove past First Baptist to take just such a shot as this, and what do you know? No flags. So I went into the files and found this one which was taken last November. Go figure.

church web site

Lodges Corner UMC, Arkansas County

My brother and I passed this church over a dozen times in the past two weeks driving from Stuttgart to DeWitt and back again. It's typical of a style of churches built to face two highways. We could find no date of construction, but Jim guesses the 1940's.

1st Baptist, Batesville

established in 1847
built in 1881

Some fine rock work here.

The straight lines and the subtle curves
of this church are well balanced.

church web site

Southside United Methodist, Batesville

Spent a day at this church last week repairing their four stained glass windows. I enjoyed talking with Dr. Jim Pierce, the part time pastor there.

St. John's Lutheran, Stuttgart

The second of two Lutheran churches in Stuttgart.
A fine neo-gothic bell tower.

Built in 1914.

St. James Catholic, Searcy

This church is only two years old. Next door is the St. James built in 1966, and the parish occupied two previous church buildings in Searcy dating back to 1928.

I had some pictures of the unique interior, but my computer seems to have devoured them. Take my word for it, it's beautiful inside.

church web site

Johnson Chapel Methodist, Prairie County

Built in 1871, west of DesArc.

Services were held here for 99 years. It still is well maintained, as is the cemetery across the road.

Annunciation Greek Orthodox, Little Rock

The previous post showed Annunciation's first home; this has been the home of Little Rock's Greek Orthodox church for the past 27 years.

Next weekend the church sponsors the popular International Greek Food Festival. The event began as an annual pastry sale at the Quapaw Quarter church in the 1950s and grew considerably after the move. The festival is a great way to sample food and culture from the Middle East as well as Greece, and it is a major fundraiser for an array of worthy causes.

Incidentally, the church website has one of the most complete synopses of the parish's history of any church I've seen. This entry in the Encyclopedia of Arkansas also covers Greek immigration history around the state.

church web site

Cathedral Park Apartments, Little Rock

The Little Rock church at 15th & Center was built in 1889. For its first thirty years it was home to the Winfield Methodist congregation. In 1919 it was purchased by the town's growing Greek Orthodox community and became the home to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church until 1983, at which time, like Winfield and many others, the congregation moved westward.

The building was then converted to apartments. The original slate roof was replaced with shingles in 1991.

Traveler's Rest M.B., Humnoke

Christadelphian Church, Morrillton

The entryway doesn't match the church, but I guess it gets you inside.

Update: The Encyclopedia of Arkansas has an article about this denomination here.

First United Methodist, Conway

Evoking both Byzantine and Italian Renaissance architectural styles, this church was built in 1915.

church web site