Crestview, Georgia facts for kids

Crestview is a small community in Baker County, Georgia, in the United States. It is known as an unincorporated community. This means it does not have its own local government like a city or town.

Where is Crestview Located?

Crestview can be found where Crestview Road, Willow Nook Road, and Crossroads Cemetery Road meet. Many smaller dirt roads, like Smith Lane, also crisscross the area. A natural spring called DeSoto Springs is the main water source for the community. Long ago, a famous explorer named Herman DeSoto is said to have camped there.

Community Life in Crestview

Crestview is a quiet place with a rural feel. While some old buildings are no longer used, the community still has a local gathering spot.

D. G. Jones General Store

The community has one main store, D. G. Jones General Store. It is located on the DeSoto Springs Plantation. This store likely serves as an important place for people to buy supplies.

Cemeteries in Crestview

Cemeteries are important historical sites. They tell us about the people who lived in a community long ago.

Taylor White Cemetery

Taylor White Cemetery is the main independent cemetery in the Crestview area. It is a place where many local families have laid their loved ones to rest over the years.

Churches of Crestview

Churches have played a big role in the history and community life of Crestview. Two main churches are found here.

Christ Methodist Church

Christ Methodist Church was built around 1850. It was originally a simple building made from hand-cut logs. Before the American Civil War, both White plantation owners and their Black slaves attended this church. During the Civil War, the church building was used as a safe place for Confederate soldiers. The original log structure was used until the 1880s. The church was later moved to its current spot in 1899 because a cemetery was already there. The new church building was finished in 1901. It was built on a hill because the ground could get very wet, making it hard to bury people. Before the church was built, the cemetery was known as Calhoun Cemetery.

Christ Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church

After the Civil War, many Black people who had been enslaved formed their own church. This new church was built about five miles from the original Christ Methodist Church. The land for this new church was given by a White planter. The first building was unfortunately destroyed by fire, and all its records were lost. A new church was built and stood until the early 1940s. The current Christ CME Church is a continuation of this history. It sits on a two-acre piece of land and was rebuilt off Crestview Road.

Crestview Today

As of 2011, Crestview remains a small farming community. Its history, especially through its churches and cemetery, shows how the area has changed over time.