A distinctive marble church sign at Pleasant Valley Baptist in eastern Gilmer County has been broken for months, and no one knows how it happened.
Clifford Elliott, a deacon at the church, said it occurred sometime last year following a weather event.
“It’s been broken back since it was cold and the power and all was out,” he said last week. “It was after one of those storms. It was a truck or something run over it and knocked it down and broke it.”
Elliott noted the sign is made of marble in a heavy monument style.
“Jessie Ward Simmons put that up before he died, it’s been up 15 or 20 years,” he said. “They want so much for it (to replace), they want just a few dollars shy of being $10,000.”
Photos of the broken sign were posted on local Facebook pages, and community members who have passed by or are familiar with the church, responded. Danielle Brumfield remembers seeing the damaged sign “right after it happened,” and investigated.
“I looked for car marks on the ground (and) did not see any tire marks,” she said. “I couldn’t figure out how either ... this is why it was so strange to me, there were no tire marks. The day or two after it happened the ground was still wet. I would have been certain that a heavy vehicle would have left marks. So weird! I looked for marks on both sides because I thought maybe someone backed into it from the parking lot ... still nothing. Lightning? I don’t know.”
Barbara Worrell said she did not know if a truck hit the sign, but could confirm “it happened right after large storms.”
“I drive by it almost every day, and have been curious about how it happened,” she said.
The sign is 30 or more feet away from heavily-traveled Yukon Road, and several feet from the church parking area. Wesley Chadwick was told it was knocked down by a heavy-equipment vehicle that “backed into the sign accidentally.”
“I tried helping … (another man) lift it one day, but it needs a crew of guys or a machine that can lift it,” he said.
Members of the online community have suggested bake sales, selling barbecue plates or a car wash be used as fundraisers to repair and reinstall the sign, as well as setting up a Go Fund Me page. Others have said they will personally contribute to any fund toward that end.
Sheri Milton Pruett said, “I’d love to contribute to a replacement fund! My Papa Ralph Smith preached there many times.”
Below the name of the church on the sign is the phrase that is also broken in two, “Established by Our Forefathers, Nov. 7, 1891.”
Pastor Donny Cantrell said he is not a member of the church, but expressed that the congregation “greatly appreciates everyone’s concern for the situation and your offers to help.”
“Even though it was heartbreaking to see something like this happen, no one has come forward and admitted to witnessing or causing the damage, so we do not know how it happened,” he said. “Thankfully, no one was hurt and that was all the damage that was done. The congregation decided to have it replaced and are waiting to have the replacement delivered.”
Rev. Cantrell said although the sanctuary is currently under construction, the church is meeting in the fellowship hall and extends an invitation to community members to attend services on second, fourth and fifth Sundays.
“We hope to be able to continue services back in the sanctuary within the next few weeks,” he said, adding a recitation of Psalm 150:6 — “Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.”