Notchaway Baptist Church and Cemetery
Why it's listed
Notchaway Baptist Church and Cemetery sits on a small corner lot at the junction of Georgia State Routes 91 and 253 in rural southwestern Baker County. The church is a one-story, front-gable, wood-frame building completed in 1896 after the congregation, formed before 1839, moved from a log building near Ichawaynotchaway Creek. It has weatherboard siding, two-over-two windows, two front doors with transoms, original shutters, and unusual brackets or modillions under the eaves. Inside are an open sanctuary, original pine pews, beaded-board walls and ceiling, and heart-pine floors. Additions were made in 1960 and 1977. Behind the church lies a cemetery with burials from 1876 onward, simple marble and granite markers, and family plots set off by curbing. The property was listed as a good local example of a 19th-century rural church and churchyard, with a period of significance from 1896 to 1951.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is a good example of the simple vernacular church built for rural congregations in 19th-century Georgia, with unusual brackets or modillions below the eaves and largely intact interior finishes. The cemetery is significant in landscape architecture as an informal rural churchyard arranged by family plot. It is listed under Criterion C and Criteria Consideration A for its architectural and landscape design.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 01000534, listed May 25, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of GA 91 amd GA 253, Newton |
|---|---|
| County | Baker County |
| Listed | May 25, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000534 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1896 - 1951 |
| Architectural style | OTHER: rural vernacular church |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still in use as a church and cemetery; burials continue to the present. Two c. 1955 outhouses are noncontributing and have not been used since 1977. |
| Acreage | 2.5 |
| Coordinates | 31.19126, -84.51737 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 01000534.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16895983
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.