It’s been a while since we had been to Rodney, Mississippi — and not since the boys were born — so I wanted to show them especially the Rodney Presbyterian Church, which had been shelled in the War (from the water which at that time was about 300 yards away according to the HABS, by a Federal gunboat called the Rattler):
…you can still plainly see this one:
Since the river has changed course, it’s probably at least three miles away now. Some books call Rodney a ‘ghost town’ but people still live here and it’s home to several hunt camps. You almost can’t drive out here and not see several deer.
The church was begun in 1828 with a charter from the state when Rodney was known as Petit Gulf, and the church structure was built in 1830-31, and dedicated on January 1, 1832 (the congregation met in the meantime in a barroom). It’s on the National Register. The interior — so pretty:
I love how these pews have ‘doors’ and know it’s an old custom, but wonder why people ever put doors on pews to begin with. Anyone know?
The view from the pulpit, with the slave balcony:
Legend is that 1000 silver coins went into making the church bell, and this picture, my favorite of the set, shows the rope to ring it: