
![]() As settlers moved into the newly opened lands of the Alabama frontier, they brought with them the institutions and traditions that had sustained them in their former homes—including, for many of them, their religious traditions. In addition to fostering a relationship with God, churches became instrumental tools for building communities and a sense of kinship, easing the sense of loss of loved ones left behind. In November 1838 a group of settlers in southern Sumter County gathered at a plot of land owned by the Knox family, establishing the Elizabeth Presbyterian church. Seven years later, the congregation moved its church nearer to the town of Gaston, a bustling little village that was more centrally located for the membership. In 1858, due to the congregation’s growth, the members replaced the original log structure with a wooden frame, two-story structure. Ruined churches populate the Alabama landscape as reminders of the rural roots of those who moved on to larger cities. Elizabeth Presbyterian Church, a building where generations of Alabamians gathered to celebrate life and mourn loss, is just one of many such structures that deserves a spot on this year’s Places in Peril list.
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Alabama's Endangered Historic LandmarksEach year since 1994, Alabama Heritage has highlighted threatened historic sites throughout Alabama. The “Places in Peril” list has identified more than 215 imperiled historic resources throughout the state, and is compiled by the Alabama Historical Commission and the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation. The locations highlight the results of deferred maintenance, perceived obsolescence, development pressures, and lack of funding—forces that now more than ever threaten our cultural legacy. But awareness is a powerful force, too, and can cultivate a renewed determination to be responsible stewards of our heritage. For more information, visit the AHC or the ATHP websites. Alabama Heritage is proud to bring to you a selection of the places designated as perilous. Please keep your comments to information relevant to the featured place in peril. Alabama Heritage reserves the right to delete any comment that we deem inappropriate. Archives
May 2023
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