This Tiny Georgia Chapel Fits Just 12 Worshippers in America’s Smallest Church

The Smallest Church in America, South Newport GA

Miss Agnes Harper built The Smallest Church in America with $250 and a big dream in 1949.

Seventy-plus years later, her tiny roadside chapel in South Newport still welcomes wayward travelers, fitting 12 worshippers at a time in its dollhouse-sized sanctuary.

Here are more interesting facts about this amazing gem and the woman behind it.

It’s not actually the smallest church in the US

Despite what the name claims, this isn’t technically America’s smallest house of worship. The 190-square-foot chapel is pretty tiny, but Cross Island Chapel in Oneida, New York beats it at just 28.68 square feet.

Agnes Harper put up the first “Smallest Church in America” roadside sign back in 1950, and the name stuck. About 100,000 curious travelers stop by annually to check it out.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not even featured it in the ’50s, cementing its reputation regardless of technical accuracy.

The determined Agnes Harper

Agnes Harper wasn’t exactly rolling in cash when she decided to build a roadside chapel. People straight-up told her she couldn’t afford to build anything worthy of being called a church.

Harper ignored the haters and dropped $1,000 of her own money (about $12,800 today) to make her vision happen. She personally oversaw the three-month construction while still running her grocery store.

The cinderblock structure with its peaked roof was deliberately designed to look like a perfectly proportioned tiny version of a traditional church.

Fire completely destroyed it once

In 2015, someone committed arson and burned the original church to the ground.

The fire was so intense it cracked concrete and destroyed everything inside. Instead of becoming another forgotten roadside attraction, something amazing happened.

Within 10 days, over $10,000 in cash donations and building materials poured in from 23 different states. The $40,000 rebuild was completed in April 2017, less than 17 months after the fire.

The entire interior was reconstructed with modern materials but kept true to the original design.

The bell tower is way newer than it looks

That cute little bell tower that makes the building immediately recognizable as a church? It wasn’t part of the original 1949 structure.

The 15-foot tower was added nearly 50 years later in 1998, thanks to an anonymous $5,000 donation.

The 75-pound bronze bell inside was custom-cast in Atlanta and gets rung during the monthly services still held every third Sunday.

Someone actually stole the church bell

In what has to be one of the weirdest thefts in Georgia history, someone actually swiped the 75-pound bronze bell from the church’s belfry in 2003. The $1,200 bell didn’t stay missing for long, though.

The thief messed up by trying to sell it to a scrap metal dealer in Brunswick who recognized it and called the cops. After it was recovered, they reinstalled it with steel cables to prevent future heists.

Ironically, all the publicity from the theft boosted visitor donations that year, so it kind of worked out.

The doors are never locked – like, ever

Unlike most churches that lock up after services, this place stays open 24/7/365.

There’s literally no key because Agnes Harper wanted weary travelers to have access anytime. This policy hasn’t changed since 1949.

They did install security cameras after the 2015 arson, which are monitored remotely by the caretaker, but the open-door tradition continues.

When you walk in, motion-activated lights automatically turn on so you can see inside even at 3 a.m. It’s one of the few churches in America you can visit literally any time you want.

The prayer book is filled with thousands of incredible stories

Sitting on the tiny pulpit is a massive 5-inch-thick book where visitors leave prayer requests and messages.

This is volume 37 since they started keeping records in 1973, with each containing about 5,000 entries.

People from over 80 countries have written in these books in 28 different languages. When one fills up, it gets archived by the McIntosh County Historical Society.

Some visitors just sign their names, but others pour out detailed life stories spanning multiple pages.

Tons of couples have gotten married in this tiny space

Despite barely fitting 13 people, this miniature church hosts around 35 weddings every year.

Most ceremonies just include the couple, officiant, and two witnesses because there’s literally no room for anyone else.

A wedding here only costs a suggested donation of $150, way cheaper than normal venues.

The longest-lasting marriage from a couple wed here belongs to Harold and Margaret Wilson, who tied the knot on July 15, 1951, and celebrated 74 years together in 2025.

The original windows came all the way from England

Before the 2015 fire, the church rocked some legitimate English craftsmanship.

Agnes Harper imported three stained glass panels from England, each measuring 24 by 36 inches and crafted by artisan James Fletcher in 1950.

After the fire destroyed these originals, local artist Martha Reynolds created new stained glass windows with similar religious imagery.

The tiny oak pulpit, measuring just 28 inches wide, was hand-carved by local craftsman Joseph Townsend in 1951 and had to be recreated after the fire as well.

Here’s another wonderful thing about Agnes Harper

Agnes didn’t just build a cute roadside attraction – she used it to help people in need for 37 years until she died in 1986 at age 84.

She routinely brought blankets, food, and supplies to travelers and migrants who stopped at the church.

Harper spent over $30,000 of her own money maintaining the place (about $200,000 in today’s dollars).

Her personal journals documented over 600 instances where she provided direct aid including meals, gas money, and emergency lodging arrangements.

The church almost disappeared because of taxes in 1983

The little church nearly vanished in 1983 because of boring old property taxes. A highway expansion project triggered a $7,500 tax bill that Harper couldn’t afford on her fixed income.

When word got out, the McIntosh County Chamber of Commerce stepped in and raised the necessary funds in just three weeks. The county commissioners then granted the church permanent tax-exempt status on March 15, 1984.

Three generations of the same family have taken care of it

Patrick Clark, the current caretaker, is the third generation of his family maintaining this tiny church.

His grandmother, Effie Young, took over from Agnes Harper back in 1975. The Clark family has been looking after the place for 50 consecutive years – the longest caretaking streak of any roadside chapel in America.

Their duties include collecting donations, scheduling those monthly services, coordinating the weddings, and keeping the property in good shape. It’s basically become their family’s legacy at this point.

Visiting The Smallest Church in America

The church welcomes visitors 24/7 with no admission fee.

Find it at 2295 US Highway 17, Townsend, GA 31331, just one mile south of I-95 Exit 67. Look for the white and blue sign on the east side of the highway