This afternoon, we had the pleasure of attending an Izard County Historical Society event at Corinth Church. (Scroll for photos of the event)
The announcement we received promoting this event read:
"This historic rural church was built in the late 1800’s by a Methodist congregation. Inside the sanctuary, wooden boards cover the walls, ceiling and floor. The unusual arched ceiling amplifies the sounds of singing. The fenced cemetery has monuments and grave markers for some of the area’s pioneer settlers such as Langston, Staggs, Benbrook, Kankey and others.
By 2006, the congregation was no longer holding regular services, and the church had fallen into disrepair. Then a young woman decided she wanted to have her wedding there. Families who had been maintaining the cemetery came together to restore the church. They scrubbed, swept and hauled debris. They replaced missing windows and doors, repaired the steps, and painted the outside. Finally, Rachel could marry Curtis Honeycutt in the lovely refurbished church.
Mary Jo Boyd and her cousins will talk about the history of Corinth Church, the ongoing restoration project and the preservation and upkeep of the cemetery. Bring folding or lawn chairs. There are no bathrooms on the premises. The Historical Society will hold a business meeting immediately after the program." - Juanita Stowers
We heard members of the L.L. Langston Family tell us about their days spent attending The church and living in the area. Doyle Ingram also told us about the life of George Washington Brinsfield, one of the two oldest Methodist Circuit-Riders of all time, who is buried in the cemetery behind the turn-of-the-century church.
We were told that the original log building that housed the church burned in 1901 and the existing structure was completed in 1903.
This will be our first stop on the "Northern Exposure" Road Trip next Saturday.
We also got to document another schoolhouse during our visit to the Corinth Church area. It is the Hopewell School just a half-mile or so south of the church. We'll bring you those photos later in the week.
