Hardison Baptist (Crawford County, Ga.)

Hardison Baptist Church, established in 1902, is located in rural Crawford County, about four miles west of Byron. The county was created on December 9, 1822, from Houston County, which had been formed from land ceded by the Creek Indians in the 1821 Treaty of Indian Springs. It was named after statesman William Harris Crawford, who served as a U.S. senator, minister to France, and secretary of the treasury. For the first two years, the congregation met in a tent while the present church was under construction. The completed building was dedicated in 1904. The land for the church was donated by Jeff Hardison, after whom the church was named. Unlike many rural congregations, Hardison Baptist has thrived over the years, with several additions made to the original sanctuary. Baptisms were originally conducted in a pond at a nearby Boy Scout camp until the church built its own baptismal pool in the 1960s. In the 1960s, the church's front entrance was extended, and the ornate steeple seen today was added. The steeple was designed and built by a local company that built crates for the military. The bell was donated by Lester Almaroad, with the provision that stated the bell would revert to the original donor if the building was ever used for anything other than a Baptist church. Hardison Baptist Church is lovingly maintained by its dedicated congregation. Special thanks to Rev. Rick Odum, who served as pastor for twenty-two years, for providing this history.