Church at Booker's Mill
As mentioned last week, Booker's Mill existed at least as early at the Post-War Between the States Era in Conecuh County Alabama beginning with construction of the mill in 1865. Originally several different owners had constructed a grist mill, a store and several other structures.
The Stinson family began buying the property in the early 1970s and have continued to expand and build more rustic, rural creations on the property.
Later, a chapel was built on the property. "We finished it in 2000," added Stinson. "Parts of it came from various places. Some of the windows came from England, the bulk of the windows came from a church near Evergreen. The door came from Boston and the steeple came from an old Howard Johnson's Hotel in Pensacola that was being demolished. The organ in the church was donated by Cokesbury Methodist Church in Pensacola."
The pulpit for the church was donated from an antique shop in the area and the alter to the church was built by Mr. Don Stinson and his wife who used several different types of wood cut from the property and used to create the structure.
Several weddings have been held on the property and the Stinson family have their yearly reunion on the premises.
Booker's Mill is a real gem of Conecuh County. It's tucked away off of the main Evergreen exit from I-65 although GPS will take you from the Owassa exit which is a very scenic drive into the area. Also, in the area are several very old cemeteries which contain a wealth of genealogical information.
The book Shadows and Dust III: Legacies is now available for purchase. The hidden history of our area is documented through ten years of All Things Southern articles. Shadows and Dust III is available online at Lulu publishing.com or by sending $35 (this includes shipping- The book cost without shipping is $30) to Kevin McKinley at PO Box 579 Atmore, AL 36054.
Also available: Shadows and Dust I and II and Canoe: History of A Southern Town Shadows and Dust I and II and the Canoe book are available for $20 each
