Society Hill

Society Hill Baptist Church
Organized 1815
Marshall Mill Road
Crawford County, Georgia

Society Hill Baptist Church, located on Marshall Mill Road north of the highway 42 intersection, has had a long and interesting history. It was originally chartered a "Congregational Methodist" Church in 1815, some 164 years ago. Five acres of land have been given to the Church over the years: two acres by James Jordan in 1838 and three more by John and Ruth Hutto in 1957. The first trustees of the church were W. G. Aultman, J. M. Gibson, J. F. Chance, A. J. Joyner and J. R. Joyner.

By the early 1950's, the 135 year-old, wooden church, which sat 3 to 4 feet off the ground on pillars, had reached such a state of disrepair that it had to be torn down. The floor was literally rotting away and the building had become so rickety with age that it was virtually unusable ... so unsafe we even had to discontinue holding funerals there. So in November 1953, the old church was torn down. For the next two years, while the new church was being built, worship services were held in the homes of different members. The new church was completed in November 1955.

Society Hill changed to the "Congregational Christian" denomination in 1952 and remained so for the next 7 years. However, on August 2, 1959, it was officially reconstituted as a "Missionary Baptist" Church. Officiating at the constitution service were Rev. Harold Withers, former pastor of Fort Valley's First Baptist Church, and Dr. Aquila Chamlee, after whom Chamlee Memorial Baptist Church is named.

Society Hill's pastors since 1950 were: Woodrow Dorsey (1951-62), Harry Mosley (1962-66), Joel Butterworth (1966-70), Jesse Richardson (1970-76) and its current pastor, Raymond Etheridge (1976 to ?).

Numerous facility improvement projects have been accomplished during the past decade: construction of Sunday School rooms (1960), addition of Fellowship Hall (1963) church well dug (1968), installation of central heat and air (1969), walkways paved in church yard (1970), bricking outside of church (1971), new carpeting (1975), erecting steeple and installing chimes (1976) and purchase of pastorium (1978).

The membership was 85. The deacon board comprises John Hutto, chairman; Felder Tucker, also Sunday School Superintendent:; D. D. Mason, also Training Union Director; and J. B. Hutto, Sr., who at 88 is the oldest member of church. The church Secretary is Patsy Atkinson; Treasurer is Ruth Hutto. Organist is Reba Mullican. The Pianist is Judye Doss, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hutto. Her husband, Frank Doss, is Choir Director. WMU Director is Mary Etheridge, pastor's wife.

This page was updated Sunday, April 10, 2005 07:36 AM

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