America’s ‘smallest church’ is a bit of a big deal on Georgia coast
TOWNSEND ― The sign out front reads “Smallest Church in America,” and the cinder-block chapel with the exposed beam ceiling is indeed cozy at 190 square feet. Three rows of chairs, four chairs to a row. An entrance door at one end and a pulpit in front of a stain-glassed window of Jesus at the other.
What makes this small church such a big deal is found on the bulletin boards on the back wall. Personal reflections and prayer requests, all handwritten and in multiple languages, layer the cork like oysters do the muddy banks of the South Newport River near this coastal chapel.
One shaky-lettered note asks for help for a cancer-stricken sibling. Another offers thanks for family blessings. Another wishes the nosy reader a “great day.” Another for a restored relationship with an estranged spouse. Still another, printed neatly in red, asks the Almighty that a fiancé’s immigration visa be approved so they can marry.
Visitors to Christ’s Chapel have left their joys and burdens here since a local grocer, Agnes Harper, built the original sanctuary in 1949. She meant it as a place for travelers to rest and reflect, according to Patrick Young, the church’s current caretaker, and local legend is the church became a passion project following a car accident involving her son and his friends. The wreck is said to have happened during a long drive in a remote part of rural Georgia, an area not unlike Harper’s corner of the state.
A roadside attraction like a tiny church might prevent future traffic mishaps by providing weary travelers an excuse for a break.
The nondenominational Christian church is also keen on salvation. Harper deeded it to Jesus Christ in the McIntosh County property records, and the corkboards speak to the place’s power.
It’s a local landmark recognized by residents of several nearby communities, from Townsend and Shellman Bluff to Eulonia and South Newport, and a curiosity for travelers from all along the I-95 corridor.
“That little church is part of the fabric around here,” said Young, a truck driver at the Georgia Ports Authority terminal in Savannah who lives down the road from the chapel. “It’s everybody’s church.”
Christ’s Chapel’s longevity qualifies as a miracle, albeit not in the biblical sense.
The church remains open despite decades of challenges, starting with the construction of I-95 in the 1960s and 1970s. The interstate passes a quarter mile to the west — the nearest exit is a little over a mile away — and replaced U.S. 17 as the travel route to and from Florida.
Yet the visitors have continued to come. Between 30 and 50 stop by the church each week, leaving enough in donations to fund the upkeep.
Young is the chapel’s fifth caretaker and the third in his family. The Youngs’ stewardship began in the 1980s, with Patrick taking over for his mother a decade ago. In his tenure, he’s seen an uptick in vandalism. He’s replaced the chapel bell three times and is no longer surprised when he finds damage to the donation box during his nightly rounds.
He also led efforts to rebuild the church after an arsonist burned it in 2015. The fire was so hot it damaged the cinder blocks, forcing Young and other church supporters to raze the structure and start anew.
The reconstructed church, built to the same design specs as the original, was rededicated in 2017.
More recently, a homemade billboard pointing I-95 motorists toward the church disappeared. Young isn’t sure if it rotted and fell down or if the landowner or the Department of Transportation took it down to make improvements and didn’t put it back up.
“Either way, it’s gone,” he said. “Thank God for the internet.”
Christ’s Chapel is a quiet sensation on the web. Florida remains a popular winter getaway with families and snowbird retirees, and those surfing for distractions for the drive can easily come upon the Smallest Church.
As for the legitimacy of the “smallest” claim? Dozens of other tiny chapels dot America’s landscape, some with just as good or even better claim to being the smallest.
Still, it’s good fodder for debate that draws online traffic that leads to motorist traffic.
Young has talked to property owners both north and south of the church’s I-95 interchange, Exit 67, about erecting new signage. And he’s researching an e-giving option to supplement the on-site donation box.
All of those gifted dollars currently go to upkeep and improvements. The property is simple but well-maintained. Small statues — Jesus, Mary, Joseph and angels — dot the landscape, as does the roadside sign and a flagpole flying the Stars and Stripes.
The driveway and parking area is dirt and patchy grass. The understated charm continues once inside the chapel doors. The church hosts the occasional event, such as a wedding, and a monthly worship service.
But its mission remains true to Harper’s intent: a place for an impromptu stop for a brief respite.
How visitors spend it is up to them.
Editor’s note: “Dispatches” are occasional snapshots of people, places, scenes or moments from around Georgia that our reporters come across. They aim to be immersive and aren’t always tied to a news event.
About the Author
Adam Van Brimmer is a journalist who covers politics and Coastal Georgia news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
