High Shoals Baptist Church, Dawsonville, Georgia

“Old roads, old Folks and old ways still have a lot to offer in this sped up world we all live in.”

Anonymous

When we were up in the beautiful North Georgia Mountains and were exploring in Amicalola Falls State Park, we noticed a sign saying High Shoals Baptist Church. We decided to followed the sign which took us to a remote one lane gravel road to the top of Frosty Mountain. As we drove through the lush hardwood forest, there was a beautiful babbling mountain stream that followed the road for a while with wildflowers blooming throughout the woods. After a short distance, we saw another sign for the church stating it was 1 ½ miles to our destination. The road only had one bad section with plenty of ruts but the rest of the road was in remarkably good condition and our jeep handled it perfectly. We passed by a couple camping on the side of the road setting up a primitive campsite up against the creek.

High Shoals Baptist Church is one of Dawson County’s oldest churches is located about two miles north of Amicalola Falls in Dawson county, Georgia. We found the small, wooden white country church set back from the road. We parked in the parking lot and first noticed the lovely flowers that were planted on the side of the church and saw there were no power lines up here. There is no electricity up here. The church used to use candles but now use propane camp lanterns and propane heaters in the winter. The parishioners put gas lanterns around the parking lot in the winter so they can see their way to their cars and to make sure no critters were outside, which was common in this area just outside the Chattahoochee National Forest. They recently had to remove a large rattlesnake with fourteen rattlers just outside their front door.

 

I walked up on the front porch, to the double doors, and tried to open the front door. It opened. I cautiously opened the door and walked in. The church was ready for the service that would take place the day after we visited. I was surprised to see it so perfectly set up with piano, pulpit, and pews adorned with hymnals. As I walked around the church, I noticed there were pillows that appeared to have been brought in by some of the parishioners to sit on and make themselves comfortable. How I wish we could have come to service that Sunday. It must be fascinating. I would have loved to be able to meet the parishioners.

After I came out of the church, I walked to the back of the building where I saw two outhouses labeled Men and Ladies. I opened the Lady's door and found this outhouse was a two seater and they had placed hand sanitizer and toilet paper between the two seats. This really was a primitive country church. The water source for the outhouse is pumped in from a nearby spring. There was also drinking fountain outside that was flowing. That water gets piped by gravity in a pipe almost a quarter mile to the church. We found it amazing that the water just continuously flowed from the fountain and wondered what would happen during the winter.

This church was established in 1879 was originally a log building with a dirt floor. One of the first settlers that came to this region was Abraham Cochran back in 1823 and he set up his farm at the foot of Cochran Falls. His family originally came from Buncomb, Ireland and settled in Buncombe County in North Carolina before coming here. Later his three sons moved up to the mountain and it became a community that they named Buncomb which was established around the 1860’s and became an actual place name for a short time in 1883.

The community grew when the Ruben and Matilda McClure and family moved from Macon County, NC around 1874-1875 to escaped the “Milk Fever.” That was a fever that came from cows that ate white snakeroot which poisoned them as well as anyone who drank their milk. Ruben and his son William Jasper McClure were both licensed ministers. During these early days, the residents built a school as well as a church for their community. William preached until his death in 1919, preaching the “old time religion”. Amicalola at one time was called McClure Mountain.

This remote church thrived in this off the beaten path location until the early 1900’s. The old church closed its doors in 1934 and was not revived until the 1970’s when a group of descendants from the earliest settlers came in and decided to start having homecoming services at this site. In 1975, Flem Vaughters and Billy Welch decided to bring the church back to life. The church now has about 60 families who are active that come to church every third and fifth Sundays for services, their annual homecomings, and their occasional singing's. “We love the place. There’s no noise, no traffic. It’s perfectly peaceful and quiet.” States Harold Evans a current parishioner.

Right next to this church in the gorgeous southern Appalachian Mountains is the old time cemetery. We were fascinated by the age of some of the headstones; some dating back to the early 1800’s. What I found curious was that many of the old plots still were mounded up as if they had recently been buried. There are many unmarked graves here as well.

After we wandered through the cemetery, we headed across the street to the congregation hall which was also open to check out. Inside there were long tables set up as well as and pans, grill, and a sink. On the way out, I noticed someone had a pair of glasses on the ledge next to the door. It made me smile just thinking about this remote spot in the woods that is still used and enjoyed all these years after this church first came into existence. What a blessing.

This is beautiful land here but a rugged mountain terrain and no flat land with poor soil making it difficult for farming. But these people have survived and some even thrived and still come back here to celebrate life at this wonderful country church. The doors are always open and all are welcome. This is worth seeing if you are ever in this area. God’s country. What a special place.

Till next time. Bye for now.