Historic Louisville Tour of Homes
Special Report
The Louisville Garden Club is sponsoring a Tour of Homes in historic Louisville, on Saturday, March 24, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Ten homes and one historic church will be open for touring during those hours. All proceeds from this tour will be invested in the Louisville community to beautify and preserve landscapes and natural resources
Those desiring to purchase tickets for the Historic Louisville Tour of Homes may do so by contacting the Jefferson County Information Center, 107 West Broad Street, Louisville, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Advance tour tickets are $20 each and tickets purchased the day of the event will be $25 each. The ticket price entitles the holder to visit any or all of the sites listed in this tour brochure. Tour maps and tour tickets, in addition to transportation will be available on the day of the tour, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Information Center. Those seeking information about the tour, may contact Rita Culvern at (478) 625-3928 or visit the web site http://www.jeffersoncountygeorgiainfo.org/tour.html which contains complete tour information.
Foster’s Restaurant, 203 East Broad Street, and The Bistro, 128 West Broad, will be open and serving lunch from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 24. On that day, Foster’s is offering a spring lunch menu and the Bistro is offering a variety of soups and sandwiches. Reservations are not necessary.
Louisville Associate
Reformed Presbyterian Church
824 Walnut Street
This beautiful building is worthy of the proud history and the contribution to the Louisville area made by this church, especially by the hardy group of Scotch-Irish who came here to settle Jefferson County in the 1700’s. Jefferson County’s first house of worship was known as Fleeting’s Meeting House and was the predecessor of the current Ebenezer ARP Church, located half way between Louisville and Wrens on Highway 1. Ebenezer, in turn, is the mother church of the Louisville ARP Church.
In the early days, this area was only able to secure intermittent pastors; but, the first regular pastor Reverend David Bothwell led this early congregation at the Union Meeting House until about 1820. Bothwell was minister to Georgia’s governors while Louisville was the state capital from 1795 to 1807, and was also called upon to make a special address to Georgia’s House of Representatives during the infamous Yazoo Land Fraud which occurred here during those years; the subject of that message was “Spiritual Wickedness in High Places.”
Louisville’s first ARP church was established in 1875 when a wooden, frame church was erected to house the congregation in the same spot where the current church stands. This wooden structure burned in 1911 and the current building was completed in 1914.
Today’s building is constructed in the distinct neo-Byzantine style which combines near east and classical influences; this architectural style is modeled after some of the earliest churches in Christendom. The highlight of the structure is its soaring, central dome centered over the Greek cross-shaped sanctuary. The rear extension of the sanctuary was originally a Sunday School area, but had to be opened to accommodate the growing congregation.
The lovely Tiffany-design windows are created in soothing colors and provide soft light to the sanctuary while featuring a variety of religious motifs and symbols and the names of many donors. The unusual, handmade oak pews are original to this structure and display intricate egg and dart moldings. In 1939, the pipe organ was donated to the congregation by the Phillips and Abbot families and remains the only such instrument in Jefferson County. The sanctuary’s most recent addition is the new baptismal font created by Jefferson County wood artist Tim Goodson and given to the church in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Walter Jones Revell, by their family. One of the few items rescued from the 1911 fire was the original 1880 communion set which is displayed on the altar.
Church members have generously invited all tour guests to join them in the church’s fellowship hall for refreshments and the opportunity for a rest stop.
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