Mulberry Chapel Built on Farm in Georgia, USA

For the past 20 years, George Coker has been dreaming and planning the perfect addition to his farm in Carnesville, Georgia. Building a chapel on the land would provide the ideal venue to expand opportunities on the property. The chapel would offer a space to host weddings, events, and activities, allowing more people to enjoy the beauty of the farm.

A life-long builder, carpenter, and hobbyist woodworker, George put his knowledge and skills to work crafting the farm’s newest feature. Much of the wood that makes up the chapel came from trees on the property where this new structure sits today. “Beams, rafters, and lathing were all sourced from loblolly pine cut on our farm,” George explained. “Benches were also made of kiln-dried red maple from the farm.” This access to available timber was also a significant factor in George’s initial decision to purchase a Wood-Mizer portable sawmill years ago.

George used his Wood-Mizer LT40 Hydraulic portable sawmill to cut all the wood needed for the chapel. “I’ve owned this sawmill for 20 years. The LT40 Hydraulic has convenient log handling without much manual handling. At 80 years old, I can maneuver the logs with a single assistant,” shared George.

Once milled, each piece of wood was brought to the barn, air-dried with stickers, sanded, and stained. The chapel’s octagonal posts were constructed out of reclaimed power poles. “The entire family provided labor,” shared George. His daughter, Carolee, drew the chapel’s blueprints, translating George’s dreams into a workable design. His son was instrumental in the structure assembly, and other family members were on-hand throughout the project, assisting with sanding and staining lumber and assembling all the timber on site.

After decades of dreaming and six months of work, the Mulberry Chapel was complete. The finished project was a stunning 12 m x 15 m open pavilion chapel with a 3 m x 3.7 m entry reminiscent of a country church house. The entry is capped by a custom bell tower and steeple welded from stainless steel sheet metal. Inside the bell tower sits a 35 cm antique locomotive brass bell, and atop the steeple is a custom cross adorned with dogwood flowers made by a family friend. The chapel sits in a picture-perfect location at the property’s highest point, nestled in the hardwood forest with sweeping farm views.

With this masterpiece now complete, George has brought his family together under the beams of Mulberry Chapel. The weekend before Crockett Creek Crossing Farm was set to host its first wedding in the new chapel, George’s family hosted a dedication for his granddaughter. “Beautiful spring weather contributed to the feelings of pride and love. All 175 guests were amazed by the construction and beauty of our chapel,” George recounted. In the future, George plans to continue sharing his passion for sawing, woodworking, and building with his family. “I look forward to demonstrating and training younger family members how to run the sawmill,” he said.