MOUNT ZION CHURCH
RESTORATION PROJECT

The Mt. Zion Community Church stands on a hill overlooking the Current River, just above Akers Ferry and just below the”Devil’s Backbone” on Highway K in Shannon County.

It was built on land donated by George and Jane Purcell in the 1930s. Many Ozark families along the Current River — the Maggards, Purcells, Dooleys, Fergusons, Rileys, Summers, Howells, Hodgeses, Farrises, Stringers, Terrills, Medlocks and Greens, among others — would have attended this church for community events and more importantly to worship God in their beautiful countryside. It is built of native stone gathered and placed by hand in the Ozark vernacular style of the early 1900s. It was completed in 1948.

Although it has stood the test of time, it is in need of major repairs to preserve it for the future. It is the last remaining building of its kind in the Upper Current River community. It is the best reminder that Akers, Rector and Cedar Grove were vibrant, thriving communities in the early 1900s.

The building stands on ground owned by the National Park Service and it belongs to the NPS, but because of lack of funding, the building has deteriorated. The Ozark Riverways Foundation, along with a local community group, the Friends of Mt. Zion, are asking for your financial help with the restoration costs of this piece of tangible Ozark history, estimated at $60,000.

It is our desire to preserve and protect Mt. Zion for historical purposes and to be enjoyed as a gathering spot for holiday celebrations, community events, worship services, visitor point of interest, and as an inspirational place along the beautiful upper Current River.