TALIAFERRO COUNTY, GA - CHURCHES Crawfordville Presbyterian Church ***************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm *********************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Terri Saturday CRAWFORDVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH A committee appointed by the Augusta Presbytery met at the Crawfordville Methodist Church on November 15, 1879 to organize the Crawfordville Presbyterian Church. There were twelve charter members, some of whom were women. Among those was Julia Harris Hammack (1829 - 1900), a devout and earnest Christian, who with her associates struggled to keep the spark of church life alive, and with devotion to cause, worked in the hope and expectation of someday seeing a church built. To promote and this aspiration and ambition, there was organized among these faithful women The Ladies Presbyterian Aid Society, July 21, 1894, with the declared purpose of raising funds with which to erect a church. The name of the organization was later changed to the Women's Missionary Society, and later, to its present name, the Woman's Auxiliary. Mrs. Hammack was one of the leading spirits in this effort as long as she lived. Mrs Hammack was the second wife of Joseph Davis Hammack. Joseph Davis Hammack (1822- 1899) married first on September 30, 1846 to Mary Elizabeth Wilson. After Mary’s death he married on February 03, 1883 to Julia A Harris (1829- 1900). He became a member of the Mason Dawson Lodge 67, Crawfordville, Taliaferro Co., and Taliaferro County Tax commissioner on 1- 11 -1854 and elected Clerk of Inferior Court, Superior Court and Ordinary Judge on 2-16-1864. During this time Judge Hammock became controller of the Taliaferro County Treasury until his death in 1899. On January 28, 1893, the Reverend M. W. Doggett, and evangelist of the Synod of Georgia, came to Crawfordville and began a series of meetings. Following the meetings the organization of the Church, who, on July 31, 1894; organized a Presbyterian Aid Society, with the declared purpose of raising funds with which to erect a Church. In the Spring of 1895, this little society secured the consent of four male members of the church to act as a building committee. In fact, these men could not have declined, seeing the determination of that consecrated little band. To the men of this committee, this may have appeared an idle dream, but their faith, optimism and perseverance, and determination enabled these faithful women to envision a church building. The work of building the new church was completed and on July 5, 1896, the Presbyterian Congregation worshipped for the first time in their Church building. Even the lot of land upon which the church was erected was first conveyed to the officers of this church, Mrs. Sally Hammack Bristow, (see note below) , Mammie Hammack and Claude Bristow. (Sally was the daughter of Joseph Davis Hammack and Mary Wilson) Mammie was the sister of Katie Hammack Bird, and Claude Bristow was the wife of Hawes Cloud. Claude, daughter of Thomas Edmund Bristow married on November 12, 1902 to Hawes Cloud in Taliaferro County. Mr. Cloud, known as Colonel Cloud was a lawyer in Taliaferro County. He had an office in the Courthouse for many years and was a member of the Alexander Stephens Monumental Association. Two years after Mr. Stephens death, the house was put in the Stephens Monumental Association and rented out as a boarding house (1885 - 1932). In 1932, it was deeded to the state. After Mrs. Julia Hammack's passing her daughter Kate Hammack Bird (1868 - 1942) like her mother, was loyal, earnest and indefatigable in her church work. She followed through her mother's campaign for securing the history of this church. Mrs Bird was the wife of Judge William Wiley Bird (1862 - 1951), elder of this church. In fact, it was her church and religious life in which she especially delighted her children. Mrs. Bird was a lover of music and song, and which with her long service to the church as a musician, makes especially appropriate the gift from her son, Doctor Frank Bird, who generosity made it possible of the beautiful organ that was purchased in her honor and dedicated by Hawes Cloud and Doctor Eulous Portwood. Eulous Thomas Portwood (1891 - 1980), was the son of John Franklin Portwood and Sarah Edwards married on January 04, 1880 to Martha Gee, daughter of Charles William Gee and Lena Rhodes. (I would love to talk to anyone related to this family.) The Stained glass windows that were added to the church are a sight to see in honor of the Our Attorney Hawes Cloud, our cousin Doctor Eulous Thomas Portwood and cousin Mary Gordon Golucke. The above members of the Presbyterian Church were truely noble people. All were kind to the church,Sunday school and to all of Taliaferro County. I take this time to thank, Josie Bird, Rem B. Edwards and Kathryn Clemmons for this addition of Touring Taliaferro County. Their lives have been a strong influence in my research of this church and in the County. I would love to write a little about your history in Taliaferro County. Until Next time Terri Kimbrel Saturday ======== Addendum note: Rhoda Fone RhodaFone@aol.com Sallie Hammack Bristow died Nov. 28, 1878 and is buried in the Crawfordville Baptist Cemetery. Her husband, Thomas E. Bristow, was nephew of my great-grandmother, Sarah Olivia (Bristow) Taylor, and I have thoroughly researched this family. He first married Sally Hammack, May 28, 1872, and after her death he married Sallie Lou Gee, Dec. 5, 1886, daughter of Charles W. Gee and Mary Caroline Bowman. (Sallie Lou was widow of Willis Hillman when she married Thomas Bristow.) Therefore, the Sallie Bristow who participated in the building of the Presbyterian Church was Sallie Lou (Gee) Bristow, not Sallie (Hammack) Bristow.