Projects: Creating a "Field Guide to the China Grove Homesite & Phinizy Family Graveyard in Stephens, Georgia"
Where in the world is Stephens, Georgia and what is there that relates to the Phinizy Family? How do I get there and what do I look for?
Route from downtown Stephens along Stephens Salem Rd. to old China Grove" homesite
Approaching downtown Stephens from Crawfordville/Athens
Stephens, Georgia (originally called "Bowling Green") is a very small, sleepy village about 30 minutes east of Athens. It is near the original home and house of the original immigrant Ferdinand Phinizy I, which he called "China Grove" (I am assuming because there must have been a grove of China Berry trees nearby.)
Aerial view of Stephens Salem Rd.
Aerial view of Stephens Salem Rd.
470 Stephens Salem Rd. - original site of Ferdinand Phinizy I's home called "China Grove" (which is no longer standing)
470 Stephens Salem Rd. - original site of Ferdinand Phinizy I's home called "China Grove" (which is no longer standing)
An artist's visualization of what the home at China Grove looked like - circa 1795 (in watercolor)
All of the black & white photographs of the crumbling home and its outbuildings were taken around 1925 and are from the book "The Phinizy Family in America" by Dr. Ferdinand Phinizy Calhoun, Sr.
There is also the remains of the Phinizy Family Graveyard -- across the road. Ferdinand Phinizy I was originally buried there in 1818, but his remains were moved to a cemetery in Augusta years later. There are still buried several of his children and a son-in-law.
Entrance off Stephens-Salem Road to path leading to Phinizy Family Graveyard
Phinizy Calhoun, Jr. & Jack Spalding
cleaning up Phinizy Family Graveyard on Sept. 22, 1990
Mary Ellen Calhoun, Phinizy Calhoun, Jr.,
Phinizy Calhoun III & Jack Spalding
cleaning up Phinizy Family Graveyard on Sept. 22, 1990
Also HELP WANTED !
on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019
to join the pilgrimage to the Phinizy Family Homesite and clean out/de-weed the Phinizy Family Graveyard. Bring your boots, blue jeans, gloves, machete, lopper, handsaw, etc.
Also, does anyone have a professional metal detector (not a kid/amateur/toy one) that you could bring? To my knowledge, no one has ever used a professional metal detector around the old homesite or graveyard. (Sorry, I've been watching a lot of "The Mystery of Oak Island" on television lately....)