Vine Hill Presbyterian Church restoration advances, donation support still needed

Work to stabilize Vine Hill Presbyterian Church has moved ahead in Autauga County, but the 1887 landmark still needs key funding before it can be opened for broader public use again. A ramp went in during October 2025 and a septic tank was installed in February 2026, yet the project still lacks money for a water meter, water lines and plumbing.

The Old Autauga Historical Society has been working at the site since 2020, trying to protect the church’s historic character while improving the building and the grounds around it. The property includes the church, a cemetery and seven acres of land. Ownership transferred to the society in 2025, a major shift for a site that had sat closed since 1990.

That long closure is now being tested against a practical question: whether the county can support the final infrastructure needed to make Vine Hill usable again. The society wants to naturalize the property and eventually make it available for weddings, family events and club gatherings, turning the church from a preserved structure into a place that can be used regularly by the community.

The next phase depends on work the building never had when it was first constructed. Leaders want to add a bathhouse because Vine Hill historically did not have indoor plumbing. The proposed building would include separate restrooms for men and women, a change that would make the site far more functional for events and public visits.

Larry Caver, president of the historical society, said the bathrooms would help make the site more accessible for events and thanked donors for helping move the effort forward. His comments underscored how much of the restoration has relied on private giving rather than public money. Every step so far, from the ramp to the septic tank, has come from that support.

For Autauga County, Vine Hill is no longer just a closed church on a hill. It is a recognizable historic asset with a cemetery, open land and a preserved 19th-century footprint, but its future now hinges on whether residents, donors and volunteers keep the project moving long enough to finish the basic utilities that would let the site function again.