The Chapel in St. Marys Georgia began as a bank in 1840 and used for only 7 years before the bank failed. It was purchased by Lewis and Marie Ponce Dufour as their church had no formal place to worship.
Their church was one of the earliest Catholic churches in Georgia; many early Georgia Catholics were from families of Acadians who had been forced to leave Nova Scotia under British rule there.
A larger church was built in 1957 and the chapel was neglected. The bell tower had to be removed. A group of ladies from the church raised money to restore the church and also had the title cleared. It’s owned by the Diocese of Savannah.
The building is believed to be the oldest standing masonry bank building in the State of Georgia. The chapel is still used today for mass on Fridays and special events.
