Built in 1949 by Agnes Harper and deeded to Christ, the Smallest Church in America has been a place of refuge for thousands who have traveled US17 over the years. While it isn’t actually the smallest church in America, it’s among the smallest. Such roadside chapels are scattered all over the country. It was lost to arson on 28 November 2015 but a reconstruction effort was in place immediately with contributions of money and materials pouring in from all over the world.
I made the first four photographs of the tiny 190-square-foot before the fire.
Visitors often leave prayers and messages to loved ones who have passed.
The following photos detail the reconstruction of the church, which reopened on 8 April 2017.
Vanishing Coastal Georgia Photographs by Brian Brown 