Editor’s Note: For a video of the interior of Vine Hill Presbyterian Church taken before much of the work so far done was complete, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIz1cMRKg5I&fbclid=IwAR2WRFMO6-TJXDoFT0_JdZoJhAKpMV2va24jy_CBsRhebROOOY7jvNER6Lg
The before and after is quite amazing, thanks to tremendous volunteers, donations and OAHS members.
BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
For most of the past year, the old Vine Hill Presbyterian Church in Autauga County has seen new life, after sitting dormant since 1990.
Built in 1887, the beautiful church has a large cemetery, holding the remains of members dating back to the 1800s. Family names include Atchison, Bagby, Blue, Browning, Chandler, Daniels, Fischer, Gandy, McQueen, Moore, Pope, Russell, Sherrill, Urmi, Vinzant, and Warren among others.
On Sunday, the board met and had an open meeting in the church with those interested in membership with OAHS. There were approximately 40 people at the meeting.
The Lapsley family was responsible for starting Vine Hill Church. They built a huge home nearby which was later destroyed by fire.
Those attending Sunday also took part in a lunch on the ground, reminiscent of so many years ago when the church was vital and active. Many in attendance had attended the church in years past, or have family members buried in the cemetery. They said it was wonderful to see new life breathed into a building where so much love and care had been witnessed over the years.
Cooper Deramus, 94, attended the church as a child and was seated on one of the original pews with his daughter, Shelia Deramus Wood, Sunday. His grandfather, Augustus O. Vinzant, is buried in the cemetery. Cooper remembers riding the train from Selma to visit his grandparents who lived near the church. He has vivid memories of attending services with Rev. Wardlaw as pastor.
Since OAHS became involved in preserving Vine Hill, an enormous amount of work has been evident. Within the church are gorgeous wooden walls as well as a new floor that has been coated with polyurethane. During the time the church was non-operational, someone entered and took some of the longer pews. Today the original smaller pews are in the sanctuary. Recently, Barbara DeBusk Eischens and Beth DeBusk have been busy making cushions for the original church pews.
One oval window that was missing has been replaced thanks to a donation from Jeremy Day. A second in the foyer was donated by Annetta Register.
“We are still working on a work insert for it to match the one in sanctuary,” OAHS President Larry Caver said.
Lots of cleaning, some painting and repairs have been done and will be ongoing. Markers in the cemetery have been carefully cleaned, revealing names of the deceased that were covered by time.
So many individuals have donated funds, or volunteered their time, and all of them are very much appreciated, Caver said.
Some happy surprises have happened along the way, as well as some of the original components of the church being discovered, and/or returned. An original Preacher’s Chair was restored by Beth DeBusk. An old piano was donated for the church by Joan Smith.
On the church grounds back in September, grapes were found growing in an old oak tree. It is believed these are related to the vineyards once planted by the Urmi or Lapsley families. The hope is to unwind the vines from the tree and get them started on a grape arbor.
On Feb. 25, 2020 OAHS and the two remaining board members of the Vine Hill Cemetery Association signed an agreement of understanding. The cemetery board granted OAHS permission to preserve and protect Vine Hill Presbyterian Church with the understanding that if and when the cemetery association is dissolved, OAHS would have first option of ownership at the property.
The hope is that one day if ownership is obtained, they can apply for federal and/or state grants to further preserve and protect the property.
“We would love to one day build a modern detached bathroom house that operates with county water and a septic system,” President Caver said. “We would also love to install a large built-in generator for supplying lights, etc., to the church. We would like to have an area for picnic tables.”
Another hope is that the old church could be used for club meetings, community services, weddings, etc.
“We plan to make two permanent displays inside the church,” Caver said. “One will have photos and history of former church ministers. The other will have photos and history of the early church members.”
Caver said the same applies to Mallards Chapel, which was the old Mulberry Colored School House. “It is believed to be the oldest surviving one room school in Autauga County,” he said.
OAHS will continue restoration of this historic structure by replacing the interior ceiling and floor in 2021. OAHS does not own this property, as it is owned by an active church.
In one of the quarterly newsletters from OAHS, Mallards Chapel was discussed, with a Mr. Harrison recalling that the one room schoolhouse taught about 50 students. It included the first through seventh grades. Pupils sat on wooden pews and the building with heated with a wood-burning stove.
“Our preservation efforts there are on a private donation basis. We hope to help Greater Mallards Chapel AME Church apply for grant monies themselves in 2021 to help cover building materials. We plan to restore it to a one-room school setting as a museum to the one-room school settings of old Autauga County, and especially to the history of black schools in our county,” Caver stated.
Since its founding the OAHS members have looked at several properties they would like to help restore, working with the owners of those properties.
Aside from Vine Hill and Mallards, OAHS members have also approved a smaller project to help maintain the old Lewis Jones Cemetery at Independence.
According to Caver, the group is always open to suggestions for future projects. However, he said they can handle no more than two major projects at this time. Most projects are on a two to three-year basis timeline.
The hope is to have Vine Hill and/or Mallards complete by the end of 2022.
“At that point, we may adopt other major projects,” Caver said. “We do have one or two other properties on our radar for saving in two other areas of the county.”
The organization is also able to accept ownership of historic properties in need of preservation in the Old Autauga service area. Any and all proposed property donations would be considered by the OAHS Board on a case by case basis.
More About the OAHS:
The organization came together in mid-2019, and was a spinoff of the Autauga County Bicentennial Fair held in 2018. Some of the volunteers and patrons who helped felt there was a growing need to address historical issues for the entire county equitably.
According to Caver, some felt that most efforts were focused on Prattville and that there are historical structures, places and people in old Autauga County who were also noteworthy.
“We were concerned that many structures not in Prattville were being forgotten, and would slowly disappear to neglect,” Caver said. “So many people had expressed worries that Vine Hill might fall in or have to be torn down in the future for safety issues.”
In essence, Caver said he appreciates the efforts of any individual or group that has preserved and will preserve history be it in Prattville or the entire county. With so many historic buildings in danger throughout the county, everyone’s efforts are to be applauded.
“We got together and formed OAHS. Our official start date was Jan. 1, 2020,” he said. “We began with 94 charter members and currently have 200-plus members.”
The Old Autauga Historical Society (OAHS) has a Facebook page for members only. The volume of photos and stories on the page alone is worth the $10 membership fee.
The group meets quarterly throughout the county. It also publishes a historical quarterly (PDF) every January, April, July and October, which is distributed to members by email. The group works to preserve local historical structures in dire need of preservation. Annual membership dues are only $10.
If you are interested in membership, we are including a membership form on this page. Please fill it out and mail back with your dues/donations to the address at the bottom.
OAHS membership dues are on a calendar year basis. They go from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 of each year. Some members are paying 2021 early, but they are not due until New Years. New members who have joined since around Oct. 1, are considered 2021 memberships. “Paying the dues early or timely will guarantee that we can hit the ground running on projects starting,” Caver said.
See Membership Application and Many More Photos Below!
