Smyrna Church

The Smyrna Methodist Church, in White County, is the oldest documented church building in Arkansas.   The church was built in 1856, at the conjunction of two wagon trails.  

When it was being renovated a few years back, samples of the building's old wooden boards and from a tree stump found beneath it were sent to the University of Arkansas for testing.  It was determined that the lumber was cut in 1856, and included lumber that was then over 220 years old.  Some of the logs used to construct the church started growing as trees in the 1600s. The church sits a few miles outside of Searcy, and is still used for weddings.  



The church is also practically right down the road from my In-Laws (in fact I've driven right by the church and never noticed it before). My Father-In-Law was able to get the key of the church (and if you've ever met him, that probably wouldn't surprise you) and we went inside to take a look.



The light wasn't the greatest for pictures that day, with harsh direct sunlight.  But I think we'll be making a few more trips out there again soon.