The store was built in 1894. I dove into Ancestry records, and I believe this was owned by a James Moore. Researching historic records and newspapers, I found mentions of seeing James Moore at his store for his special stomach medication in local newspapers.
Unfortunately, there were three James Moores, listed as farmers, in Taliaferro County. Two of them were listed as living in Raytown. All had brothers.
This image is from the Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological and Historic Resources Geographic Information System database. It was taken in 2010.
As of 2020, Sharon’s population was 104. In the late 1800s, the town was a busy hub because travelers stopped in Sharon before heading to the Electric Health Resort in nearby Hillman. It was built around the claim that exposure to the underground bedrock had healing powers. Like so many resorts from this period, it burned down.
The Folk Victorian house with the turret was built in 1895.
The congregation of Sardis Baptist Church Began in 1814. The modest Carpenter Gothic church was built in 1899. Based on the Eldren Bailey headstones and Ancestry searches, I know the people buried here are African American, so I believe this to be a historic Black congregation.
The 1814 date on the sign makes me believe the congregation began as white, and local planters brought the people they enslaved to the church. A handful of Black churches throughout Georgia began before the Civil War, like the Strawberry Chapel AME in Laurens County. Still, I am not aware of any that started that early. I suspect this church became a separate Black congregation after the Civil War. Unfortunately, there are so many Sardis Baptist Churches that it’s been challenging to tease out the history from online searches, and the church does not seem to have a web presence. There also doesn’t seem to be a separate book written about Taliaferro (pronounced Tolliver) County.
I will update the post if I get more information.
Note: While the sign does say Sharon, this church is much closer to the community of Raytown.
If you’ve never visited Sharon in Taliaferro County, I highly recommend it. Outside of the oldest Catholic church in the state, it also has this beauty, the Sharon Methodist Church.
Built in 1935, the Springfield Log Cabin School served the Black community in Taliaferro County. It is not a Rosenwald school, but it was built in a similar fashion due to the effectiveness of the different Rosenwald designs.
In 1965, it served as a community as a Freedom School, which educated elementary and high school students to become activists and participate in the Civil Rights Movement.
The Georgia Trust of Historic Preservation listed it as a Place in Peril in 2019. You can follow restoration and fundraising efforts on the school’s Facebook page.
Built in 1899 by local craftspeople, Antioch Baptist Church was founded by freedmen and women in 1886. The Gothic Revival church sits just off the road in southern Taliaferro County.
There are efforts to stabilize the church, which water has damaged over the years. Former congregation members still return to the church once a year for homecoming.
There is a small graveyard adjacent to the church with burials ranging from 1899 to 2000.
Websites store cookies to enhance functionality and personalise your experience. You can manage your preferences, but blocking some cookies may impact site performance and services.
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Name
Description
Duration
Cookie Preferences
This cookie is used to store the user's cookie consent preferences.
