Bluffton in Clay County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Lord's Acre

Photographed by James L.Whitman, July 15, 2023

1. The Lord's Acre Marker

Inscription. In 1922 Rev. H.M. Melton of Bluffton Baptist Church challenged his congregation to set aside one acre of farmland and donate the proceeds from crops raised there to the cash-poor rural church. Seven farmers agreed. The "Lord's acres" not only thrived but seemed impervious to the boll weevil that plagued the community in 1923. Encouraged by a Time Magazine article in 1924 and later by the Lord's Acre Plan of the Farmers Federation of North Carolina, the movement spread, becoming an international and interdenominational phenomenon that continues to provide funding for churches to the present day. The movement has grown beyond farmland to include projects of donated time and service, and to auctions and sales featuring homemade goods, arts, and crafts.

Erected 2013 by Georgia Historical Society, the Bluffton City Council,and the Bluffton Baptist Church. (Marker Number 31-1.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1922.

Location. 31° 31.249′ N, 84° 52.074′ W. Marker is in Bluffton, Georgia, in Clay County. It is at the intersection of Broad Street and Church Street, on the right when traveling

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south on Broad Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 316 Bluff St, Bluffton GA 39824, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Coastal Plain. It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Weston C. Lee Veterans Memorial Park (approx. half a mile away); Oakland High School (approx. 5 miles away); Sutton's Crossroads (approx. 5.7 miles away); Kolomoki Mounds Archaeological Area (approx. 6 miles away); Vilulah Settlement (approx. 6.9 miles away); Kolomoki Mounds State Park 4 mi. (approx. 8½ miles away); Three Notch Trail (approx. 8.9 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 9.9 miles away).

Photographed by James L.Whitman, July 15, 2023

2. The Lord's Acre Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 15, 2023, by James L.Whitman of Eufaula, Alabama. This page has been viewed 536 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 15, 2023, by James L.Whitman of Eufaula, Alabama. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.