Upper Lott's Creek Primitive Baptist Church and Cemetery
Why it's listed
Upper Lott's Creek Primitive Baptist Church and Cemetery lies near Portal in Bulloch County, southeast Georgia. The property includes a one-story, wood-framed church built in 1881, a cemetery with 328 marked graves, and a creek where members were baptized until the mid-20th century. The church has Greek Revival elements: a pedimented front gable, rounded portico columns, corner pilasters and a frieze board. Alterations in 1945 replaced the original two entry doors with a central double door and reorganized the pews around a center aisle, reflecting the end of separate seating for men and women. A concrete-block annex was added in 1959. The cemetery follows a gridiron plan, with first recorded burials in 1902 and some unmarked graves possibly older. The congregation formed in 1832 under Absalom Parrish and is described as one of the oldest Primitive Baptist congregations in Georgia. The property was recognized for its architecture, cemetery landscape and religious history, and it remains in active use.
Significance in brief: The church is a good local example of a late-19th-century rural church with Greek Revival elements, and the cemetery is a good example of an early 20th-century gridiron cemetery landscape. It is also significant at the state level in religion, because it is tied to one of the oldest Primitive Baptist congregations in Georgia, formed in 1832.
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 08000967, listed December 4, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Metter-Portal Hwy. and Westside Rd., Metter |
|---|---|
| County | Bulloch County |
| Listed | December 4, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000967 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1881-1959 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both the church and the cemetery are still in use; baptisms now take place inside the sanctuary rather than in the creek. |
| Acreage | 15 |
| Coordinates | 32.49011, -81.97324 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 08000967.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q29092814
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.