SIMPLE SOUTHERN WOODEN COUNTRY CHURCH -- A HUNDRED YEARS OLD

OLD VERNACULAR COUNTRY CHURCH

On a soldier blue sky day, I found this intriguing southern wooden church in the area of Paint Lick, Kentucky. And, at the same time a large ferocious dog found me as I opened up my truck door to go have a "look see."  Whoa, I thought and "go home" I shouted at the dog as his bark almost turned into a snarl. I must have some look of authority as the dog backed off and slowly trotted away -- but from a distance he never let me out of his sight. Oh well, I thought, just another day in  my life of finding and taking photos of unique places and people of the folk kind. I headed toward the church but kept an eye on Rover as I walked. 

The church was apparently deserted from the broken panes in various windows and the lack of worn footpaths around the church.

The church was certainly a simple style and could have been featured in a movie about early settlements. It did have some traits that added a bit of a flair to it. Its front facing gable fell under the Greek Revival influence and its doors and windows were certainly Gothic Revival style. 

Vernacular builders borrow styles from the past -- ones that they are familiar with. Greek Revival was popular in the mid 1800s as well as the Gothic Revival style.The vernacular builder or builders would have been local folks with their own interpretation of what the church should look like. Their pick of 'familiar to them" styles formed the mixture found in the this church's simple look. 

The colored glass panes are considered a "poor man's"  style for church windows as the more "well-to-do"  had stained glass. 

STONE PLATE IN CHURCH FOUNDATION

I noticed that a stone slab had been inserted in the chiseled limestone foundation. It read 1st Baptist Church, W.D. Thompson, Pastor 1901. I believe this stone was placed in the foundation as it was being built and is more than likely the age of the building. 


There was an old white wooden outhouse that belonged to the church sitting nearby. I wanted to take a photo of it but I could see that Rover was getting restless and I thought I had better move on. I filed a note in my mind as I drove away -- that if I ever got back this way to remember to bring Rover a bit of appeasement -- possibly some dog biscuits.