Rock Creek Church Of Christ
Rock Creek/Srygley, Alabama
The Rock Creek Church of Christ
Now closed, this church building at one time housed a membership, the preachers of which are known far and wide. Men like John Taylor, T.B. Larimore, and others preached here. F.D. Srygley & F.B. Srygley grew up here and ultimately preached the gospel throughout the south in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This is not the original Rock Creek church building. The old original cabin was what the more famous preachers of yesteryear would have used. Taylor, Larimore and never saw this building. It is still used today as a community meeting house. Across the street is the old Rock Creek Cemetery, in which graves date back to before the Civil War era.
To get to the old church building out of Muscle Shoals, Alabama: At Hwy 43 & 72 go west on 72 toward Iuka, MS. Go 8.4 miles and turn left on Hwy. 247 toward Red Bay. (A yellow caution light there). Go toward Red Bay 11.1 miles until you reach the Srygley Church of Christ on the right. There in front of the church building turn left on County Rd. 58. Go .4 mile to stop sign. Turn right on Henry Rd. The road then forks, bear to left and the building is about 200 yards up on the right.
The Old Upping-Stone at Rock Creek
The old "upping-stone" is a product of American culture. In the days when men rode horses to church and ladies road on wagons, the line to the upping-stone was as important as pulling under the shelter to let the family get in and out of the car. This particular upping-stone was taken from the old Rock Creek Church of Christ. When the property was sold to a private owner the old upping-stone was given to Heritage Christian University for preservation's sake. It caused quite an uproar by the locals, because it was a landmark in the community. However the fear of theft caused the owner to donate it to the school. No doubt great godly people used this old stone to get in and out of buggies or off and on horses on church days. Wayne Kilpatrick, HCU Professor of Church History, demonstrates the upping stone's use to a group of history seekers.