Church Hill, Mississippi

Once upon a time a person could mail a letter to a loved one in Church Hill, Mississippi using zip code 39055. That is until September 30th, 1992 when Mr. Adolph Wagner, Jr. who had served as the Church Hill Postmaster from December 30, 1963 closed the Post Office doors for the last time. Now a simple unincorporated town in Jefferson County, Church Hill, Mississippi is located up Hwy 553 about 14 miles north of Natchez. But that is the end of the story, let's go back to the beginning.

After you've read my post of Church Hill, MS please check out my photography website gritsphotography.com and especially the full photo set on Church Hill. 

The genesis of the Church Hill community was a group of people known as the "Old Maryland Settlement" that moved to the Jefferson County area from Maryland after the Revolutionary War. For many years the town was simply known as the "Maryland Settlement" until the name was eventually changed to Church Hill around 1820.

If you drive through Church Hill, you would obviously think that the name comes from the big church on the hill, but it seems that the community name was established long before the church you see today was even built. The first church of the community, known as "Christ Church" was constructed of logs in 1820 and was located on Fairchild’s Creek, with the current structure not being built until 1858. This church was part of one of the oldest Episcopal groups that dated from the 1790's and its design was copied from the old country churches in England. Looking through the windows I could see the large beautiful beams, and I read that in the slave balcony you can still see the names of the founding members where they wrote their name with a turkey quill on one of the beams.

Around 1870 came the local goods/commissary store. I couldn't find any names for who ran the store from 1870 to 1927, but several records show that the store was run by the Wagner family from 1927 to 1997 with many Church Hill residents describing the store as the community's unofficial city hall.

So that brings us back to today. Today residents meet in the "Christ Church" once a month and the Wagner store is now the focus of a restoration project led by the Church Hill Preservation Trust, affiliated with the Historic Natchez Foundation. A push is on to not only save the old building but to transform it into an educational museum celebrating the area's history.

Now that I have researched Church Hill, I discovered that there is much more to see. There are several antebellum homes that I didn't get to. I hope to get back and see them soon. Here are a few more photos.

Grits Photography - Church Hill, MS

Sources for this blog

Jefferson County Website
The Free Library
Wikipedia

Bless the Lord O My Soul

"Bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me. Bless His holy name"

I was driving up Hwy 3 toward Yazoo City, Mississippi just enjoying a beautiful morning. I wasn't looking for a "quantity" of photos, but I was looking for a few "quality" shots. This cross was on the side of the road, kinda deep in the woods. It caught my eye as I was driving about 35! It was the shot I was looking for.

Get On Up - James Brown Movie - Rodney, Mississippi

I recently went to see the James Brown biography movie, Get On Up. I went because it blended both of my worlds of photography and music, two of my favorite activities! I knew that the movie was filmed in several locations across Mississippi, but when I heard they filmed a scene at the old church in Rodney, Mississippi, I had to go see it!

I watched the movie with much anticipation, thinking they would barely show the old church, or I wouldn't recognize it, but then it happened...

My heart JUMPED out of my chest, and I wanted to turn to the folks around me in the movie theatre and tell them, I KNOW THAT PLACE, I've stood right where they are standing. But it was more than that, something inside me was happy for the old church that no one ever gets to see. It is so remote and forgotten that the earth is slowly overtaking it. So, yeah, I guess I was happy that now the world was seeing it through the film

Just two weeks ago Marty Kittrell and I went to shoot the old church (again), with a new friend of ours to show it to him for the first time. Here are some photos from that day.

Well, anyway, just wanted to share this moment of my life, it was very thrilling to know that this little jewel of Mississippi was being shared with millions of movie goers around the country. This old church that we visit regularly because we know that eventually the earth will overtake it and be forgotten by all. The old church that rain and weather has already claimed most of the inside walls and ceiling, is now temporarily revitalized because the movie company shored up and cleaned up the inside for filming.

I hope to find some of the other Mississippi locations that were used in the film. To see the movie trailer for the James Brown movie "Get on Up" click here. http://youtu.be/vptGSENcXeI

To see the church yourself, take a quick trip to Rodney, here are the coordinates Just be careful and respectful of the old girl!

Latitude: 31.860774, Longitude: -91.200990

DIY Bench from Headboard

So I got a Facebook message from a family who had this headboard and wanted it made into a nice bench for her foyer. It is a queen size about 60" wide. I also had the bed rails that were made from wood that matched the stain so I wanted to incorporate them into the design somehow. Let the brainstorming begin!!

The first problem was that the headboard needed to be raised about 6". So I took some of the bedrail and made a 6" extension. I trim it out in the finished product.

Next, I had to build the frame for the bench. The headboard had that "inset", and I wanted the bench to go the full width of the headboard all the way to the outside edge, so I had to account for that. As you can see, I put one 2x4 the same width as the inset and used pocket screws to secure it to the headboard. Then I built a rectangle frame that wrapped around the sides of the headboard and used pocket screws to secure the frame to the other 2x4. You'll notice that the rectangular frame doesn't quite go all the way to the outside edge. That is because, I have 1" trim pieces that I made from the old bed rails that I will fasten to the frame toward the end that will make the bench flush with the outside edge. 

Next was pretty easy. Just filled in the bench with 2x4's and pocket screwed them into the frame, and built the legs with 2x4's to match the height of the back legs. I then added some braces as you can see to just tighten it up a little more. What you cant see is that I also added a 2x4 underneath the bottom of the bench in the middle to give the bench more support. 

Add, here you have it. I painted the new wood pieces all black and trimmed the outside edges with the old bed rails. I put a nice wax shine on all the wood to make it look like a brand new bench.

Materials

1 old headboard and old bed rails

10 - 8 ft 2x4's

1 - Can of black glossy spray paint

Nails and screws

Couple pieces of scrap trim for the leg extensions on the back. 

Red Barns - Gone

Digging through some old photos I took a while back and coincidentally found two red barns that are no longer with us. First, this old barn was still being used, freshly painted when I last took its picture. But the 2011 flood wiped it out. Nothing left where it once stood. It was located right off the dry side of the levee over in Mound, Louisiana.

This old barn was located in Rolling Fork, MS. The famous Graft Family Barn that recently fell after a storm blew it down.

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge - Heart!

My wife and I sometimes will go out to the downtown water fountain where kids go to play and keep cool in the Summer heat. I will take pictures and give the parents a card that shows them where they can download the pictures for free. Nothing satisfies my heart more than giving parents photos that show emotion in ways they will never get from the local Sears photographer. When I saw that this challenge was about heart, I immediately remembered this little girl. When I took it, it struck me that she wasn't thinking about bills, or work, or stress in her life! Every time that water came up out of the hole she laughed and screamed. Her life at this moment was full of hearts and rainbows!


This picture was submitted to the I Heart Faces Photo Challenge!

Rest for the Weary

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

We were out shooting one day going about 60 miles an hour up highway 65 when out of the corner of my eye this frame flashed before me. I yelled out to Marty to stop and go back, which I rarely do. I jumped out of the truck and shot this photo. There was something so wordy about this picture. It was like it was trying to tell me a story. Here is the story it has revealed to me...

There are three characters in the story.

First, the field. The field is the enemy, representing our toils in life that seemingly never end. So much work to do, the field never stops needing attention, it constantly takes up our time and needs watering, and plowing. Even when we are sleeping it still is looming in the darkness waiting on us to remember that it is there are needs our attention.

Secondly, the tree. The tree is Jesus. Standing alone, proud and tall among the toils. Providing a place to rest, to provide shade from the heat. As in this photo, when the fields are brown are dying and hopeless in the world, our Savior stands tall proud and green.

Finally, the tires. The tires are us. Having to plow through the field of toils and rolling with our burdens day after day. We exhaust ourselves going through the never ending motions.

So, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." is the story that was revealed through this photo. This photo reminds me that I can prop up against the tree when I'm tired and burdened. The tree is always there when I need Him.

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge - Oh So Silly!

My followers remember Mr. Slim from the Mississippi Delta! The story goes as my wife and friends were photography free styling when we came up on an old country store in Greenville, Mississippi. My wife goes inside while I am shooting the old gas pumps outside, when all of the sudden she burst outside and said, "You have GOT to come see this man!" She knows I love faces and people that exude "character". Well Slim was everything I wanted in a picture and more!

I asked if I could take his photo, and the other old men in the store starting "ragging" him. It was hilarious! They were saying things like "Show 'em your good side slim!", or "Show 'em your teeth slim!".  I started shooting and he sat there real still, but then unprovoked he started "posing". Like a supermodel that needed a good shave, he puts his hand to his rugged face and his pose was the shot you see here.

I am submitting this photo to the IHeartFaces silly photo contest. It may not seem as silly as some of the other faces in the contest, but for ole slim, it was as silly as he will ever get!

Seasons of Life

Life happens. We are born, then we die. And in between the two dates on our tombstone is a little dash that represents our time here on earth. But instead of a dash, it should probably be more of an up and down curve. Some days we are happy, others we are sad. One day our health is good, and on other days we are worried about test results. One day we are surrounded by our loved ones, the next we are attending their funerals. These are the seasons of life.

What makes us strong in our beliefs is that we don't let our current season affect our faith and we shouldn't make our praise a condition of our circumstances. It is easy to praise when we are like the little girl above in the summer of life. When our hands are in the air, big smiles on our face, life is nothing but hearts and rainbows and not a care in the world! But we should be just as full of praise when we are like the little boy above, tired and slumping and ready for the day to just be over.

Summer, winter, fall or spring.  No matter what season you are in, just remember no season is permanent and we can always expect a change. The good news is that if our praise is not based on our circumstances, then no matter what season we are in, our joy remains the same!

Missed Opportunities

I first saw this gentleman in Rolling Fork, Mississippi about a year ago. My son and I left Vicksburg around 3:30 in the afternoon and headed up 61 North to the Mississippi Delta looking for some great Delta photos. As we drifted into Rolling Fork, Mississippi and headed downtown, I turned the corner and there he was. My heart jumped out of my chest as a photographer, the sun was setting and giving perfect light, he was rolling right down the middle of the road so the composition was perfect, the Jesus tag on the back of his chair could inspire someone that saw my photo, and the icing on the cake was this old glory flag waiving in the breeze as he moved. It was the PERFECT picture! Only one problem, my camera had the wrong lens on and he turned the corner as I frantically tried to switch it out. My heart sank.... I was sick to my stomach... A missed opportunity that I will never get back... or so I thought....

About a year later, I was out with my friend Marty and we ended up in Rolling Fork again. I wasn't even thinking I would see this gentleman again. But there he was.

This time I was disappointed. The sun wasn't setting, he wasn't in the middle of the street, the flag was all crinkled up. I even had the right lens on this time, but wasn't excited about the shot. All I could remember, is that the last time I saw him I could have had the perfect photo, and that this time it just wasn't the same. But instead of driving away, I pulled over and introduced myself to Mr. J.C. I shared my story about me seeing him a year ago, and we talked and talked. You see, what I thought was a missed opportunity a year ago, was quickly revealed to me that this was the real opportunity. Had I got the shot a year ago, he would have sped away and we would have never spoken and all I would have ended up with was a photo. By seeing J.C. a year later, I talked to him, heard his story and we shared our love for Jesus and what he has done for us. What I thought was a missed opportunity was God fostering an encounter with a fellow believer that I would have missed otherwise. Next time you think that God isn't listening, remember that it is in His time that his path for us is revealed, not ours.


Side note: J.C.? really, (Jesus Christ? Hey, it is on his license plate! )

With God All Things Are Possible

"Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” he inquired.  Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself." “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

This weeks photo was a little less subtle. Driving down Hwy 80 toward Edwards, Mississippi I came up on a church van with this message, "With God All Things Are Possible".  I've always heard this line quoted out of scripture in reference to so many small things in our small human lives. Life events such as people looking to change careers, "With God all things are possible", or reconciliations, "With God all things are possible".

The fact is that this quote out of the bible was meant for so much more. In the scripture above, Jesus is telling us that we can't save ourselves. It is impossible. We can't be good enough nor can we do enough things to impress God into giving us eternal life. Heaven can not be earned, it is a free gift. Only Jesus makes it possible for us to have eternal life. So my challenge for you today it to quit thinking that you're not good enough, or that you could never do enough to earn a trip to heaven. The truth is it doesn't matter about your past or what you've done, the only way to salvation and eternal life is through our Father Jesus Christ. With God, all things are possible.

Good Morning God, We Are Never Alone

Re-discovered this photo the other day when I was going through some of my older collections. Sometimes it's the photo that you glanced over the first time that grabs your eye with a new meaning when you revisit it later. I figure it's because when we first capture it that maybe we aren't in a position in life that resonates with the soul of the picture, but when we revisit it later our life circumstances are different somehow, that makes us now connect with the photo in a different way. Something about this picture when I first took it reminded me that as I start losing my older generation family members and as my children are heading off to college that sometimes we can feel like this tree. Once surrounded by all of its other family of trees and probably an old homestead that once rang out with kids laughing and playing now stands alone in the middle of the field. But today when I pulled out this photo, I didn't see the negative. As I now stare at this photo I notice that the tree is not drooping or sad, I see a tree that is standing tall and proud. I see a tree that still serves a mighty purpose as it gives shade to the farmer that plows every spring. And most importantly I see a tree that gets to see the glory of God every morning rise over the horizon to remind it that He is still in control and radiant in a supernatural way that shines light into our lives more that we could ever know. Good morning God, no matter what we are never alone.

A Lazy Saturday! - More Delta Faces

This past Saturday Marty Kittrell and I went on one of the longest photo excursions we've done in quite a while. It was such a beautiful day! Marty will tell you, while I love to capture old buildings and wildlife, nothing warms my heart more than capturing the faces of the Mississippi Delta. Here is my new friend "JC". I saw him going down the road in Rolling Fork about a year ago, and I missed the chance to get his photo. Saturday when I saw him again, I told Marty to whip around and let me talk to him. When I asked if I could take his picture, he said "sure".

Here are some delta fishermen that were fishing on the side of the road down highway 465. This young man had a smile that I'll never forget. Such a sweet spirit and loved telling me about the one that got away!

The sombrero made this gentleman a true character! A quiet man but in the few minutes they let me spend with them he caught two fish!

You could almost see the relief on their faces knowing that supper was caught and the pressure was off!

Thanks guys for letting me spend some time with you guys!

Tallahatchie Flats

A while back my wife surprised me with a weekend getaway. I didn't know where we would end up, but when she told me to grab my camera and she turned up 61 North highway, I knew it was going to be good. We ended up at a place called Tallahatchie Flats (www.tallahatchieflats.com). I had been to the Shack Up Inn a few times, so I was curious to experience this new place.

Right on the banks of the Tallahatchie River, these small rural homes give you the experience that the old blues families might have had back in the day! Here are some photos from the journey as well as the destination!

My Salvation Story Through My Photos - Mississippi Photography

Once upon a time I was on a very lonely road. Going through life, going through the motions but always feeling an emptiness inside. Something was missing. I had money, a college degree, and a great family, but it never was enough and I never felt complete. Then one day it all came crashing down. But that's not the end of the story. So let me start at the beginning...

Joyless Life

Growing up my life was kinda like this picture. No color, no joy. The people around me were like these trees. Just as weak as I was and feeling like they could break at any minute. Potholes and broken roads were at every turn. I burned a lot of bridges with people that I held resentment with. For the first 30 years of my life I was living this Hwy 80 life, when there was an entire Interstate 20 right next to me. 

The Crash

Then one day it all came crashing down. I was working three jobs. My regular job and also trying to run two small businesses of my own. You see, I wanted to be rich. To have power and notoriety. I lost my businesses and almost lost my family. My beautiful wife and two kids were ready to walk out the door. I deserved it. I was a terrible husband and father that only thought of himself. I was "doing all this for them" to give them money and "things". But that's not what they wanted. My pride and desire to have worldly things had consumed me like the vines on this building until one day my legs literally collapsed from underneath me. 

The Rebound

Some of my friends had been trying to tell me about this "other life". This "I-20" life that was focused on others and not myself. That was focused on happiness and a contentment that didn't involve power and money. They told me that Jesus loved me and that he could help me.

Baby Steps

They invited me to church and welcomed me and my family with open arms. I took baby steps at first. I just committed to going on Sunday's at first. I didn't make any major decisions or become this Jesus freak. It just felt right and it felt like I was finally on the right track and the darkness I felt for so long finally started seeing light again. Those dead trees that had been all around me starting growing vibrant leaves and the new life of green surrounded me.

Salvation Is Here

Then one day it happened. I had just left church and it started to sink in. I heard a message that Jesus had died on the cross for me. I never really knew what that meant until that night. It meant that before Jesus there was no way for a sinner like me to get to heaven.  But because Jesus died on the cross I had a way to get to heaven. I prayed to Jesus and told Him that I know that I am a bad person, that I had done a lot of sins in my life. I told God through many tears that I was sorry and that I needed him to come into my life. 

Joyful Life

It was just that simple, and suddenly that emptiness and void that I had felt for years was overflowing with joy and peace. I was a new man at 30 years old. I felt like a kid again. A kid not afraid to look silly. To raise my hands in praise. I felt clean and like I had a new start as a new child. I felt like God had taken away all my guilt, my shame, my sin. He let me start over again, and even though I still fail sometimes, he is faithful to forgive me and now I know he will always love me.

Amazing Grace

It's been over 12 years since that day. I'm still not rich monetarily, but I am rich in so many other ways! I thank God everyday for rescuing me. I thank Him for saving my marriage, and for teaching me how to raise my kids. I love him and talk to Him everyday. I call on Him when I'm tired, when my daughter takes off down the highway on her way back to college, and when the sunrise comes over the horizon and I start snapping pictures. My life today is kinda like this picture. With Jesus up high in the sky, I am below trying to be a reflection of Him.