Rogersville Presbyterian Church
A Sole Surviving Original
April 16, 2019
Whenever we hit the road, we often, well occasionally, have a destination in mind mainly to eat, check out an antique store, attend an event or see a particular sight. Primarily the destination gives us the opportunity and challenge to find the best out of the way back roads to take. The destination sometimes can be rather vague as in this instance "Rogersville, Alabama".
While in Rogersville, we ran across this old church... leaning, but still standing. From a nearby historical marker we discovered the following:
The earliest place of worship in Rogersville was a brush arbor located approximately 200 yards west of this historic location in what is now the old Liberty Cemetery. A building in which several faiths worshipped was later constructed on that site.
The trustees constructed a meeting house on the two-acre lot about 1855 when a trust agreement was made with the creditors. This building was two stories high and was used as a church serving several faiths and also as a community school. At an unknown date, this building burned and the present one was erected in 1889.
The property was deeded to the Town of Rogersville on September 20, 1975. In an effort to restore the historic property, a group of local citizens formed the Rogersville Historical Preservation Committee in 1997.
The historic church holds the distinction of being the last surviving original place of worship in Rogersville.
Turtles! Turtles! Turtles!
Turtles Know How to Hang Out in the Sun!
April 16th, 2019
In early Spring when the mornings are cold and a long sunny day make the afternoons hot you can find turtles coming out of the cold waters of most Southern creeks and rivers to sunbathe. We couldn't believe the number of turtles we discovered after seeing a group and decided to pull over near the Elk River in Limestone County. In this picture you can easily count over 50.
These guys are enjoying a little fellowship in the sun and all agree on the best direction to face.
The Three Not So Little Pigs
Pigs, Barn and Tractor... All Country
April 16th, 2019
On Upper Snake Road in Alabama, I believe we found the Three Little Pigs all grown up and NOT so little! I have to hand this one to Mosey to catch this picture as we drove by rather quickly to avoid a tractor spraying a nearby field. We didn't even notice the darker spotted pig until we got home and viewed the pictures. Love the old barn and tractor... all country.
Hidden Valley Upper Snake Road
Don't Blink...
April 16th, 2019
One day as we were heading West on Upper Snake Road in Alabama we caught a glimpse of a beautiful hidden valley. We passed it quickly even doing our usual 35 mph. The road dips and curves to the left at the best vantage point and my guess is going the posted 50 mph you probably would never see it. We just had to turn around to take a second look and slow down a bit more for Mosey to capture the picture above. Only after seeing it on our computer did we notice the small herd of cows in the shade of the trees all the way at the end of the valley. Just as in life... don't blink or you'll miss it!!
The Old CookStove Restaurant
An Old Restaurant on a Gravel Road! You Bet!
October 19th, 2018
We found The Old CookStove Restaurant in a book a friend had given me called ‘Alabama Back Road Restaurants and Recipes”. It was listed as a family buffet-style restaurant in the middle of Mennonite country on one of the only gravel roads in Morgan county. A gravel road AND a restaurant, both favorites we look for!
It seems the old country buffet restaurants aren’t as common as they used to be. A place where people come sit a spell and eat, but not just eat, to visit. A place where the servers know the customers by name, and might even know their "usual". There’s something about sitting around a table and sharing a meal with others. It’s more than eating, it’s sharing life.
The restaurant is well marked off of Morgan County Road 55 on a little gravel road named Reeder Road. The gravel road up to the restaurant was not as long or scenic as we had hoped, but still added to the overall charm. The restaurant was in a quaint country home setting and for a small restaurant, it had an impressive spread, with a well stocked salad bar, meat, meat and more meat, more veggies to mention and a dessert bar with homemade ice cream! What more could you want? Poke tried most everything and rated it with 4 napkins, with some items even higher. He really thought the meatloaf was delicious, and carrots that melted in your mouth. And give him some cobbler and homemade ice cream still in the churn, and well, he’s done!
I loved looking at the Mennonite wares, quilts, purses, jams/jellies, cakes and candles. I could’ve spent quite a bit just on quilts alone, they had some beautiful ones! And the old cookstove was right there in the middle of things, which just screams country charm!
They seemed to have a constant stream of regular customers and we could see why. We enjoyed some time sitting on the porch after our meal before loading up in Daisy for the drive home. There were plenty of places to sit and let your meal settle. Now that I’m home, maybe I should really go back for a few of those quilts, I mean Christmas is coming very soon, and a beautiful quilt would make a great gift, don’t you think? Oh and some of those sweets! Well, looks like a trip back might be in order... see ya there? It’s a charming little treasure, just around the corner.
Horse Riders Road Crossing
You Might Be In The Country...
October 19th, 2018
Somewhere in Morgan County, Alabama we came upon a not so common, or at least in these parts, equestrian crossing road sign. Who knows, Kentucky might be full of them. Not that folks don't own horses, because a lot do, but generally not in a way to warrant crossing signs. We couldn't tell if there was a local riding club or horseback riding trail or simply stables across the street from a working farm. Give us a wave if you know more about this sign.
Old Barn on Sandy Road
Old Barn and Pecan Trees
October 19th, 2018
Daisy doesn't enjoy the busy main roads, so in the attempt to find a backroad to one of the few bridges across the Tennessee River in Alabama we came through an area called Swan Creek Waterfowl Management Area. We traveled down a road called Sandy Road, one of the closest roads to the main bridge on Highway 31 going into Decatur.
There we found a large old barn a good ways off the road that caught our attention. Isn't she a beauty? It was rather overgrown and beginning to fall due to weather, neglect and age. None the less still a great barn with an impressive presence. And you know how I feel about barns.
As we continued down the road there was a driveway lined with pecan trees going to a clearing with random debris surrounded by other trees where it appeared a house use to sit. It seemed to be the owners of the barn at one time and from the size of the trees might have been built long ago, but who knows when it might have ceased to exist or what happened to it. Here again, we wonder the stories it might tell and the history of those who may have lived there.