Photography by Scott Farrar
Siloam Presbyterian
Greene | Organized 1903
Siloam Presbyterian Church was founded in 1903 by the charter members of the former Hastings Church. Hastings, established in 1894, was dismantled at the end of the 19th century to create the new Presbyterian congregation. Both churches were organized by John T. Dolvin, a respected local born in 1826. The new sanctuary was completed in the spring of 1903, with pews brought over from Hastings, which had stood a few miles north of Siloam. In a memorable act of generosity, the women of the congregation paid for carpet by each giving up the purchase of a winter hat that year.
+ Continue readingIn 1929, the church narrowly avoided destruction. On March 31, Mrs. Rhodes arrived early to prepare flowers and light the new heater, but accidentally used a container of gasoline. When the flames erupted, she fought the fire with her bare hands and clothing, determined to save the building. Her bravery spared the church, but she succumbed to her injuries several weeks later. Her sacrifice remains an enduring part of the church’s story.
Siloam itself was once far more vibrant than it is today. In “Two Years to Remember,” the daughter of rural sociologist and New Deal farm administrator Arthur Raper recalled the lively community life of the 1930s and 40s—Saturday trips to Mr. Jackson’s General Store, Sunday church services, and candid observations about race relations in the rural South. Arthur Raper, during his time in Greene County, authored influential works including Sharecroppers All and Tenants of the Almighty.
Church records note that Siloam Presbyterian began when the members of Old Hastings decided to relocate to the more central community of Siloam. Siloam Baptist graciously donated the land, and materials from Hastings, including lumber, furnishings, and fixtures, were reused to construct the new sanctuary across the street from the Baptist church. On the day the congregation moved from Old Hastings to their new home 110 years ago, the building looked much as it does today—a simple, enduring reminder of faith, community, and the generations who have worked to preserve it.