Begins at 5 p.m. at Ironton First Baptist Church

The Lawrence County Museum’s annual Historical Church Walk will be at 5 p.m. this Saturday.

It starts at Ironton First Baptist Church on Fifth Street.

“It’s a part of our Christmas tradition here in Lawrence County,” said Debbie Rogers, vice president of the Lawrence County Historical Society, who has been organizing the walk since 1997. Lou Ann Blagg started it as walking tour of the churches in the downtown Ironton area. “It is humbling sitting in these churches and it really makes you think about the Christmas season.”

Rogers said she likes sitting in these churches that were built so many decades ago and wondering what Christmas was like for them and how they celebrated.

“I just like thinking about all the different aspects of it,” she said.

After the First Baptist Church on Fifth Street, the tour goes to Christ Episcopal, First Methodist, First Presbyterian, St. Paul, St. Lawrence, Gateway Baptist and Quinn Chapel. Each church offers a 10-minute presentation. The walk takes about two and a half to three hours.

“I have free programs with the history of the churches,” said Rogers. “Every church has a 10 minute program, and then we allow a 10 minute travel time to get to the next church. My favorite part is learning about the history of the churches.”

Along the way, the Rock Hill Choir will serenade the walkers with carols.

“They’ll be everywhere,” Rogers said. She added that some of the guides from the museum would be dressed in period costumes.

Rogers said that since the Historical Church Walk has been on social media, they are hoping for a big turn out. It normally attracts a hundred or more people.

“It’s supposed to be nice weather, so that always brings in more people,” she said. “We’ve had people from Gallia County say they were coming. Every year, we see some new faces. And there are people that come every year, I’ve seen some of them for years.”

The walk will conclude with refreshments at the museum.

“We will probably have hot cider and coffee and assorted cookies,” Rogers said.

The Lawrence County Museum will close for the winter on Dec. 17. It will reopen in April.