Snow Springs Baptist Church

Snow Springs Baptist Church was organized on August 15, 1886 at the Davis School House, Bartow County, Georgia. The Davis School House was located at the bottom of the hill between Wayside and Snow Springs Church Road.

After constituting the church, they agreed to name the church Snow Springs Baptist Church. The church was given the name because Mr. Snow lived just east of the spring and southwest of the church. The church agreed to join the Oostanaula Baptist Association in 1886.

The property was deeded to Snow Springs Church of Missionary Baptist by Julia V. Schwartz, July 4, 1888. Mrs. Schwartz was the heir to G. Barnsley and two acres was deeded to the church.

The first church was built out of heart pine with planks going up and down with a strip over the cracks. The pillars were of heart pine and rock high off the ground of the west side and low on the east side. It had high steps up to the front door. The front faced the south with the pulpit in the north end. The first church building was small and during the summer all the people couldn't get inside the building. A Brush Arbor was built behind the church building.

A description of the interior of the old building which was given by memory from our advisory committee: The inside walls were sealed, tongue and grooved. Two windows were in the north end of the church and two on each side. There was a double door on the south end of the church also a single door on the east side which came out of the Brush Arbor. On the walls were kerosene lanterns used for lighting the building. There was a small pulpit on the north end of the church. The pews were made out of slates. The music was provided by a pump organ.

In 1927, a decision was made to build a larger church building. The church voted three separate times on where to build the church. Some wanted to build across from the Old Davis School House and some wanted it where the old church was. They appointed a building committee: Monroe Freeman, Chairman; Walt Lanham, Clerk; and Guy Smith, Committeeman. The church left the decision of where to put the new building in the hands of the committee. The committee decided to tear down the old building and build on the hill. Everyone donated something to the building; whether time or money. The bell for the church was given by Willie Ed Taylor. The lumber for the ceiling was given by Walter Lanham and Manuel Sutton.

Mr. and Mrs. Guy Smith kept the pulpit chairs from the first church in their home while the present church was being built.

Plans for the new church were drew by Monroe Freeman, who also built the pulpit and two fern stands. The pulpit is now used in our young Adult B class. The fern stands are still in the sanctuary. He also donated two pulpit chairs.

The foundation for the church was rock pillars and the outside of the building had drop siding or 6-inch weather boards that run crossways.

While putting the shingles on the roof of the present church, Guy Smith, Carl Smith, and King Boswell were on a toe-board when it broke loose. Carl Smith has scars on his arm today from this experience. Clay Carver helped tear down the old church and roof the new church. Some of the wood that is in the building today came from the old church.

Signatures found in the church attic.

A description of the inside of the church given from memory by the advisory committee: The church was heated by small heaters; one on each side with pipes that went up and met together in the center of the building and went out the top. It took about 20 pipes and the pipes put off more heat than the stoves. There was three sections of benches with two aisles. The walls were tongue and groove and heart pine flooring. The lighting was provided by Aladdin lamps hung from the ceiling. There was a bay window in the back of the church. The pulpit stood in front of the window with a bench behind for the preacher to sit on. At one time a bench was placed in front of the pulpit to use as an altar. There was a choir section on either side up front; one side for men and one side for women. Some of the benches were used out of the old church building and some new ones were built. Services were held two times a month. No Sunday School rooms were built.

The 1st funeral held in the new church was John Carey in 1928.
The 1st formal wedding held was Chuck and Evelyn Touchtone in 1958. The ceremony was performed by Dewitt Hunter.

Through the years, the building has been remodeled to be what it is now. In 1949, electricity was hooked up to the church. In the early 1950s, sheetrock and ceiltex was hung. Lights were put up and asbestos shingles were put on the side of the building.

In 1956, the church decided to change the seating arrangements. New benches were built. Millard Freeman took the boards where he worked and cut them out. Alvin Boswell, Millard Freeman, and Paul Chesser built the benches. A bench was sanded and stained at night then carried to be put in the building. Instead of having three rows of benches and two aisles, they made two rows of benches and one main aisle.

The Sunday School program grew and now the church needed Sunday School rooms. The bay window was removed and a door was put in its place. Five rooms were built adjoining to the building. Later on, there was a need for more Sunday School rooms.

One of the first Sunday School rooms was torn down to make a hallway; then five more rooms were added. This gave a total of nine Sunday School rooms. The first church piano was bought and placed in the church sanctuary.

In 1964, the men and ladies bathrooms were installed and between the bathrooms, they added another Sunday School room. This made a total of ten Sunday School rooms. A Cistern was dug and used for the water in the bathrooms and water cooler. Rob Barrett was hired to dynamite the ground to dig the hole. The men of the church helped build the Cistern.

Again in 1964, some changes were made in the church. A choir stand was installed. Carl Smith purchased the lumber from Charlie Shaw to build the stand. The piano was moved to sit down in front of the stand and pulpit. There were benches placed on each side; one for the Amen corner and the other for the Ladies.

In 1969, Millie Freeman started the special church choir with about 10 to 12 small children. Because the special music was such a success, the adults were encouraged to become a part of the choir. Millie Freeman served as Choir Director for about thirteen years. The choir has grown from this small number to its present number.

The wall behind the pulpit was remodeled in the summer of 1973. There used to be one door about where the cross is now with swinging doors. The choir was divided; men on the left side and women on the right side. This was changed to two doors on each side and one large choir as it is now. The vented gas heaters and butane tank were removed and central heat and air conditioning was installed.

The Ladies Sunday School Class bought and paid for carpet to be put in the church sanctuary.

The first purchase the Ladies Circle made for the church was an organ. This beautiful organ that we have all enjoyed over the years was purchased June 18, 1975.

In June 1980, covering the benches in the Sanctuary was the Ladies Circle project which they paid for after work was completed. A 6-foot lighted cross was purchased in 1981 with a plaque placed underneath the cross in September 1982. The plaque is in loving memory of the late Mrs. Annie (Aunt Annie) Boswell.

In 1983, the Ladies Circle projects were for ceiling fans for the Fellowship Hall and name stand. Also a church sign which was placed in January 1984.

Stained Glass windows were first opened for discussion in April 1984. These beautiful windows that grace our church were installed August 13th and 14th, 1985. Quotations from the records as follows:
"Our windows are paid for. Everyone seems pleased with them. We are very thankful and grateful for the Lord to let us raise the money. We're broke again but very happy!"

On February 26, 1976, the Ladies Circle paid for having a well dug and a pump installed for the new water system in the church. The church also purchases a bus to begin a bus ministry. John Stephenson and Leonard Fletcher were put in charge of the bus ministry.

In 1977, Addie Culberson deeded the property for the fellowship hall. Work began on the fellowship hall and the men of the church cleared the land. Alvin Boswell was in charge of building the fellowship hall. The men built the fellowship hall and all the labor was free except for the laying of the bricks. In 1978, the fellowship hall was complete. A baptistry was also installed in the fellowship hall. On August 27, 1978, the first recorded baptism was Tommy Grier.

A road was built around the cemetery during this same year. Addie Culberson also gave the church permission to park across the road from the church.

In 1980, the Ladies Circle had the church parking lot paved. A new heat and air conditioning system was purchased and installed. The men of the church remodeled the old Sunday School rooms and added new Sunday School rooms above the old rooms. Alvin Boswell was also chairman of this building committee. The church had new vinyl siding put on the exterior of the building and the Ladies Circle purchased the lighted cross now used in our church.

The church sign was purchased in 1984 by the Ladies Circle and was placed in front of the church and later was moved to its present location in front of the cemetery.

In 1985, the Ladies Circle purchased and had installed six stained glass windows. Plexiglass was placed over the windows to protect the windows. New lights were purchased and placed in the church that same year. Some time during the churches history, the cemetery was extended and Clark Chatmon was hired to bulldoze the land and clear it off.

Years later, the Fellowship Hall was remodeled. A Youth room was built beside it and remodeled not too long ago. A playground was built on the other side of the Fellowship Hall for the kids to have a safe place to play.

Inside the Sanctuary, the floors were redone and lastly, the left side of the church building was expanded so that addition restrooms and a smaller kitchen could be built.