2023 November 4, "Walking with the Saints" a Saints Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Florence House of Worship

Today, hubby and I did a walking tour with a group at (10:00 AM) at the Florence Library led by Lee Freeman. 

We visited the former Popular Street Christian Church, now Wood Avenue Church of Christ (1970), which is across the street from the Florence Library. 

Wood Avenue Church of Christ 

Cavalry Fellowship Church

424 E Tombigbee St Florence, AL 

From the library, we walked to Tombigee St and Popular Streets. 

We stopped at the Cavalry Fellowship (former Popular Street Christian Church)

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church 630 N Poplar St
Florence, AL

From Cavalary Fellow Ship, we walked several blocks up Popular St to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (1938)630 N. Popular St.

First Baptist Church 209 North Walnut St.

We walked back up several streets to Walnut St., The Baptist church, which is across the street from the Florence Library. 

We stopped at the Gothic Style First Baptist Church (1888), 209 North Walnut St.

First Presbyterian Church 224 E Mobile St

Next, we walked to East Mobile Street the First Presbyterian Church is across the street from the Florence US Post Office. 

We stopped at First Presbyterian Church (1818) 224 E Mobile St. The Oldest Christian Church is the “Mother Church” Florence’s oldest church. 

Tennessee Valley Community Church AME
119 N Pine St Florence, Al 

 

We walked down the one-way street of Mobile St to Tennessee Valley Community Church AME on Pine St. There is construction going on near this church, as you can see in the picture. 

Trinity Episcopal Church 410 N Pine St Florence, Al 

We walked up Pine St to Trinity Episcopal Church (1824), Florence’s third oldest Christian congregation church, which is a couple blocks from Tennessee Valley Community Church. This church faces Pine St and faces North Seminary St. We walked up a couple blocks to the United Methodist Church.

First United Methodist Church 415 N Seminary Florence, Al 

Our last stop was First United Methodist Church (1822) 415 N Seminary, the second oldest church in Florence. 

Wilson Park Fountain 

Wilson Park is near the United Methodist Church and across the street from the Florence Library. 

We stopped to take a few pictures of the fountain at Wilson. The wind was blowing the water from the fountain and wet us as we walked by.

There were a couple of children enjoying the sprinkles from the fountain.  

Also took pictures of the Florence Library and The Kennedy Douglas Art Center. 

We ate lunch at St Florian Pharmacy Soda Shop. We sat at the bar and watched as they took orders for dipped ice cream and made sandwiches. 

Hubby ordered a ham and cheese Sandwich with Cheetos and a Strawberry Milkshake. 

Reuben Sandwich with chips

I ordered a Reuben with Sun Chips, whole grain Harvest cheddar, and Diet Coke. 

After lunch, we headed for home, but there was a traffic jam on Highway 72, where there was a lot of construction going on. 

We took Middle Road to the Old Jackson Highway to US 43 home. 

 

2019 Mar 23, 🚎Faith of our Fathers Trolley Tour of Tuscumbia, Alabama

March 23, 2019 

Everyone met at Coldwater Books and began boarding the trolley at 9:30AM.

Lt. Col. Arthur Graves talking to a couple of tourists

The trolley was taking a group on a “Tour of the Faith of our Fathers” Historic Churches of Tuscumbia.

Ron Hudson said that the Georgian Gothic-style First Presbyterian Church was Alabama's oldest house of continual worship and where the Keller Family worshiped for over a century.
Helen Keller was a Baptist here.
Notable Tuscumbians that attended her were Brig. Gen. James Deshler, CSA; Alabama Governor Robert Burns Lindsay; Judge John Anthony Steele, delegate to the State Secession Convention; and Thomas Limerick, first mayor of Tuscumbia and original trustee of the church. 

We explored the architecture and history of the First Presbyterian Church, Lesley Temple, and First Baptist Church, three of Tuscumbia’s oldest churches, and how the faith of our fathers impacted the growth of Tuscumbia. 

Lesley Temple (built around a log cabin, the original building)
Mr. Graves is a devoted member of Lesley Temple C.M.E. Church, where he is proudly the oldest male member of the church.  He serves on the Steward Board and is a Sunday school teacher.  He is also the host of his Sunday morning radio program on WZZA.

Lesley Temple (original light fixture from Presbyterian Church 

Our tour guides were Ron Hudson and Lt. Col. Arthur Graves, the oldest member of Lesley Temple, very knowledgeable about the history of Tuscumbia.

2017 April 15, Church History Walking Tour Decatur, Alabama ⛪⛪⛪⛪ with guide Phil Wirey

Today I strolled along with several others to listen to Phil Wirey tell the Church history of Decatur.
We meet in the Flower and Butterfly Garden at the Old State Building.

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Rosalynn  Carter Butterfly Trail
This garden provides host plants, nectar sources, and shelter for butterflies. The mission of the trail is to promote the full life cycle of butterflies common in this area with a special emphasis on the monarch. The trail begins at the home of President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter in Plains, Ga.
Join us on the trail!
www.jimmycarter.info

Butterfly Garden

We were introduced to people like Jesse Winston Garth, one of Decatur's founding fathers Decatur.
(2)We saw the Dancy Polk House, the site of (3)Colonel Lawrence Banks's Home that was torn down during the Civil War.
We saw the site of the (4)First Methodist Church and the First City Cemetery also torn down during the Civil War.
(5)The site of the First Presbyterian Church, Owl Drug Store, Tennessee Valley State Bank, and many Jewish storefronts.
(6) We stopped at the Lafayette Street Cemetery to take a few pictures.

 Lafayette Street Cemetery
there are brochures placed outside the cemetery for the taking
1. Cyrus Aiken Banks
2. George Baylor Banks
3. Col Lawrence Slaughter Banks
4. Margaret Jarret Noble Banks
5. Mildred Ann Banks
6. Elizabeth Boyce
7. Elizabethan Brown
8. Sarah Evaline Rhodes Dancy'
9. Thomas G. Marphy
10. Mary Mason Nelson
11. Mary Ann Banks Nichols
12. Eliza Rhodes
13. Francis Alexander Rhodes
14. Lavinia Mason Rhodes
15. Patience Rhodes
16. Sarah Louisa Turner Dancy Sykes Rhodes
17. Alexander Ross
18. Daughter Rutledge
19. Phineas Thomas Scruggs
20. Eliza Lavinia Sykes
21. Sarah Winfield Dancy Sykes

(7) We stopped to visit the Notorious Simp McGee saloons and Dead Man's Alley

Simp McHGee
Simp, a Master Pilot, was as skillful and competent as the best. But in the Spring of 1917, Federal Agents lifted his license for "the reckless shooting of the rapids" near Chattanooga. No longer allowed to pilot his riverboats, he returned to Decatur and died at Miss Kate's house, on June 16, 1917, at the age of 58...

William Simpson McGhee was buried on the bank of the Tennessee River near Guntersville.

(8)We visited the Nungester Drug Store and (9) The United Methodist Church.
(10) We stopped outside the First Baptist Church its third location.
(11) We visited the Carnegie Library and ended our tour at the Decatur Daikin Amphitheater.

Carnegie Library 

Decatur Daikin Amphitheater.

I walked back to the parking lot near the Old State Bank and took pictures of several historic markers.

The Rising Sun Lodge No 29 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons

Dr. Henry Rhodes, for whom Rhodes Ferry Landing was Named, was Decatur's first Postmaster and one of the organizers of the Lodge (Nov. 22, 1826). Chartered in 1827, its first Worshipful Master was Colonel Francis Danny, builder of the Fancy-Polk House. It is the oldest Lodge in Morgan County and the first fraternal organization in Decatur. Early members were the pioneer settlers of Morgan County. Two of Decatur's founders, Isaac Lane and General Jesse Winston Garth., were Masons and Directors of the Decatur Land Company which laid out the city streets. A lodge was built in 1834 with the lower floor used for school and church purposes. Rising Sun Lodge was destroyed by the enemy during the War Between the States (Nov. 25, 1864). In 1873 a Lodge was built on the NW corner of Bank and Pond Streets, across from the Old State Bank, W.W. Littlejohn a Colonel C.C. Harris were Masons and founders of the Decatur Land Improvement & Furnace Company which planned the city of New Decatur (1887). Three members, all doctors in the faithful discharge of their Hippocratic Oath, were lost to the 1888 Yellow Fever epidemic, James McGinnis Brundidge, PM, is the only Mason in the history of the Alabama Grand Lodge to bestowed the title of

'Honorable Past Grand Master'(1899). In 1934, the Lodge moved into the Masonic Temple on Johnston Street, formerly the Cotaco Opera House.

Decatur has pieces of art dotted throughout the historic area.  

Children holding hands in the Decatur Daikin Amphitheater Park 

A pair of Hands 

A rooster in the Gardens at the Carnegie Library 

Blooming Azaleas  

I ate lunch at Jack in Decatur, rode home, and took a long nap.