I recently discovered
a website for the Phillips Farm which is the
property where the Center Church used to
stand.
http://jimandmarilyn.com/ There are links on
the left for the Church and the cemetery
with some history and pictures of the
interior, but no explanation of why it is no
longer there. I used the email address on
the Church page to contact Jim Phillips (who
lost his wife Marilyn just last November)
and inquired about the old Church building
that is no more. Since you expressed concern
as to the fate of the building at the bottom
of your Center Cemetery page, I knew you
would be interested in his reply. The
contents of his email are pasted bellow.
David Lacy
Sorry for the slow response, I am using
another email address
jralph43@gmail.com
and just check this one periodically.
The building had started
to fall apart. The siding was falling
off and several windows had fallen out.
The remaining brick chimney above the
ceiling was unsupported and threatened
to fall to the floor. There are also
instances in the rural areas near here
where vandals have set fire to old
vacant church buildings. Possibly the
same type rogue that enjoys knocking
over tomb stones.
The church building itself was taken
apart and taken to Cullman Alabama to an
architectural antiques dealer
http://www.sa1969.com
Much of the timber has been sold, a few
of the pews and other items. The old
chandelier was originally advertised at
$25,000 but most recently a price of
$10,000 was discussed with a buyer in
Chicago. Apparently it is the only 3
tier kerosene chandelier in the US. It
will have to be put in a large building.
All the money from the sale of the
church materials is being put into a
cemetery fund. So far none has been
spent. All the restoration work in the
cemetery has been manually labor and
adhesive and bleach. Long range plans
for the cemetery include a modest
entrance and signage and long range
maintenance after I am unable to care
for the grounds. I am 68 and have helped
care for the cemetery and grounds since
I was a teen.
One couple has marked off grave plots to
be buried there. I am encouraging more
of this so there will be new families
who can take care of the cemetery after
we are gone.
We aren't doing much in the way of
cemetery restoration other than trying
to get the stones back upright, pieces
bonded together and some cleaning. We
are back in the older graves now and a
lot of work needs to be done. We have
pretty well picked the low hanging
fruit. Decoration is this coming Sunday
so I'll spruce it up; although few if
any people come any more.
Jim
Phillips
This more recent Google Map shows the
same area without the church building.
