Fire that gutted century-old church was ‘intentionally set,’ Georgia officials say
Arson is suspected in a fire that ripped through a historic Georgia church on Monday, officials say.
Fire crews responded to an afternoon fire at the Smith Chapel Church in Bowdon, about 90 miles north of Columbus, and found the more than 100-year-old building “engulfed in flames,” the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Photos posted online show the church’s charred remains.
Investigators said they believe the fire was set intentionally and are now searching for suspects.
No injuries were reported, police said.
The historic church, founded by the Methodist Rev. John Thurman in 1851, has deep ties to the area and was formerly known as Mount Pleasant, according to Historic Rural Churches of Georgia.
“It was built as a log structure with two doors and a large fireplace,” the group states. “Twenty eight years later, a new church was built that also served as a school. The history then states that the Methodist Conference ‘replaced’ Rev. Thurman with Rev. Seaborn Smith, and the church members decided to rename the church Smith Chapel in honor of the new pastor.”
A third, more modern structure was built in 1896, but it also burned Monday.
Anyone with information on the fire can submit an anonymous tip to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office at 770-830-5916, or email investigator Brandon Wiggins at bwiggins@carrollsheriff.com.
This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Fire that gutted century-old church was ‘intentionally set,’ Georgia officials say."