First Christian Church, Augusta, GA ~ The Small Steeple ~ The Story of the Little Steeple   Being smaller does not mean being less important. I should know. My life began around 1875 when I was called to serve a church in Augusta, Georgia. My duties were not the usual for my kind. You see, I am the little steeple of First Christian Church.   As steeples go, most are designed to house church bells in their base called a bell tower or belfry. Church bells are so important. They are used to call people to church as well as to announce special events such as weddings, baptisms, and such. Naturally, this job is a most important one; a job held with high esteem. What an honor! However, this was not my calling.   The small steeple.     The architects who designed the Christian Church on Greene Street planned for it to have two steeples. Rising from the outside corner of the main church building, the larger steeple would suspend the church bell. Reaching toward the heavens, the spire was intended to serve as a beacon for all who sought refuge and a place to worship our Lord, Jesus Christ.   The second steeple would be much smaller and would be used for another purpose. That's me. My base was actually designed as a cupola used to ventilate the church by way of air circulation. My spire was shorter, but I held an important job. No, I didn't tower high in the sky like my larger counterpart. Nor was I able to help toll the bells that called members to church, but I served my church proudly with the talent I was given.   Many years ago, a man was called to do some painting and repair work to us---the two steeples at First Christian Church. The bracing used to support my pinnacle had become so damaged with dry rot, that my top had to be dismantled. I had been doing what I was called to do for 55 years so, naturally, I thought my spire would be replaced soon. That wasn't the case.   In 2005, with the help of special donations, it was decided that I would be made whole again. My steeple top or spire was replaced on September 8th. I was so excited! I felt as if I had been resurrected just as Jesus had risen from the dead on that first Easter morning so long ago. It was a glorious time.   With modern inventions like the air conditioner, my job is not as important as it once was, but I gleam in the sun today just as I did at the dedication service held on 2 JAN 1876. Of course I know that I'll never be as tall as my larger and more impressive sibling, but I feel just as important. Background: Tom Hamilton, a steeplejack, was called to do repair work and on the steeples of First Christian Church in 1930. An article about him and his work on the previous day appeared in the Augusta Chronicle on 2 MAR 1930. He commented that so many little "do-hickies" on the steeple made it difficult to place ropes. This reference was surely about the larger steeple. As for the smaller steeple, the spire began to rock back and forth as he worked. It was determined that the wooden supports of the smaller steeple's top exhibited signs of dry rot necessitating the removal of the spire to ensure safety. Having long been absent from its post, the little steeple was replaced on 8 SEP 2005 utilizing special donations received during the year. It is indeed a special time for us as we see the church as it was when it was built over 130 years ago.