Sardis City Beginnings

Sardis City Beginnings. . Sardis community derived its name from Sardis Baptist Church which was founded in 1882 on another site. There were 20 charter members. They met in a brush arbor until a building was completed in 1887, at this site. The church was a wooden, box frame building with a dirt floor and split logs for benches. In 1888, the church had 74 members. In 1905, a new church was built at a cost of $800.00. This church stood until 1945 when the new brick church was built. The sanctuary addition was completed in 1998 and the family life center in 2009. Sardis City was incorporated in 1963 with a population of 210 residences. The reason for incorporating was to start a water board to provide water to the community. On May 11, 1963, the town was incorporated with the name Sardis City, because there was another town named Sardis in Alabama. On March 1, 1965, the Water Board was incorporated., Reverse: , The first school building, a one room school house, was built in 1905 with the second room added in 1909. In 1925, the first Jr. High School was built. The high school was built in 1933 and the first football team was organized in 1946 with players playing in plow shoes modified with wooden cleats. The first football field was built in 1955. The band was organized in 1959 and in 1960 a brick school building was built. It was used until the existing building was completed in 2006. Sardis Service Station on the corner of Church and Sardis Drive was opened by Ezra Johnson in 1930. He started the store with $11.25 worth of stock. He sold groceries on credit and would give people until fall to pay their bill. Cotton was the main crop of the 30s. The city purchased the Store building in 2001 and established a library and museum for the community.