Many travelers often take Hwy 231, a major thoroughfare through the heart of Pell City, Alabama to connect to Hwy. 280 in Harpersville. Driving south out of Pell City you come to the small area of Cropwell. If you look to your right, sitting on a hill is Coosa Valley Baptist Church. It is a beautiful old church with white clapboard siding and interesting roof lines. The steeple and windows add even more architectural charm. The church, established in 1840, also served as a school for many years.
In March of 1929, the original church was completely destroyed by a tornado, including nearly every early church record. The Cropwell Baptist Church had also been destroyed. The two churches met together in the auditorium of the Cropwell High School where seventy-one people were present. The offering was $1.99. Cropwell Baptist Church met on Sunday May 19, 1929 to form and pass a resolution to unite Coosa Valley Church with them, but evidently, this never happened. Later, Coosa Valley Baptist was received into the St. Clair Baptist Association. [Sources: Cropwell Baptist Church History, memories of Betty Vardaman Smith.]
A story is told that during the Civil War (cannot verify the facts), the Wilson Raiders came through the area. One of the young men who rode ahead of the main band of raiders stopped to warn the teacher of the coming raid so he could dismiss school, giving the children time to get to their homes before the raid began.
Historic Pell City was founded in 1890 due to the expansion of the railroad and is well known for its famous Avondale Mills. The textile mill, built in 1902, was dismantled in 2008. The town is full of charm with historic homes dating back to late 1800s. While driving its back roads you will see barns and farmland giving evidence of its cotton, soybean, and cattle industry.
The beautiful towns of Cropwell and Pell City are situated off of Interstate 20 between Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia. If you enjoy photography as I do, then a day trip to visit this area will be worth the time and very rewarding!
is this church open for a wedding? We are looking for smaller church and this is perfect!
Thx
Cheryl, it is a beautiful church and looks perfect for weddings but I am not sure about wedding policy. Wish I could give you a number to call but I don’t have one. Are you from our area? Perhaps call the Baptist Association for the area of Cropwell, Alabama, and they will be able to give you details. Congrats on your wedding!
i enjoyed reading this article! I do not have any info. Sorry.
Thank you, Janice! Glad you read the article. I am adding more stories of backroad adventures as soon as I can. Maybe we can team up for some road trips to see what we can find!