The following article is the final part in a series on the history of Summerdale.

Peering back through time, the high water mark in Summerdale was reached several decades ago. That would most likely be shortsighted, especially if you asked a current resident. Certainly the bustle of agricultural activity centered on the potato sheds and the tobacco warehouse is gone, but the quality of life in this south Baldwin community would make it most envious. It is quiet, comfortable and boasts a natural beauty filled with people that care about one another. All of those qualities are rather rare in 2014. The community has heritage, and it has sustained the bonds that make a community viable.

One aspect of the Summerdale community that has remained intact over the last 100 years is the resident’s loyalty to their religious faith. One of the first institutions to arise in Summerdale at the turn of the 20th century was the church. Several differing denominations began and have remained although they have all undergone changes over the years, including the construction of new facilities.

The first church built in Summerdale was the Lutheran church but was soon followed by others. The Lutheran church was built in 1900 on the southeast corner of the present school location. The Wynn Baptist Church was organized in 1898, but meetings were held in the school house until 1905 when church was destroyed by a fire. A church building was then built but it, too, was soon lost in a storm in 1906. Afterwards, services were held in the Summerdale School until 1912 when a new building was completed. In the succeeding years, the name also changed to the Summerdale Baptist Church. The Methodist Church was established in 1913 by Mrs. W.I. Cleverdon and Miss Lelia McKinnley. Sunday school and worship services were held in the Summerdale School until 1924 when the first church building was built.

From the turn of the 20th century and for the next 50 years, Summerdale’s business community grew and diversified. Many small businesses, typical of small town Alabama, came to life, flourished and then disappeared once they were superseded by the modern era. Several stores owned by various residents were a large part of the Summerdale landscape throughout the last century. A store owned by Mr. S.D. Sosonko operated in four different locations throughout the town. Mr. Hubert Groon and Mr. W.I. Cleverdon built a brick store in 1930 which was later operated by Paul and Jim Cleverdon. There was also a store operated by Victor Jurkiewicz beginning in 1922 and one by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Miller in 1938. In addition, a Mr. Shriner owned a store built in 1928. Often times, stores served a dual role in the community. For example the first store in Summerdale, built in 1902, also served as the first post office. Furthermore, a store owned by Mr. Ruben McCurdy did double as a hotel.

The community was also served by industries that no longer exist or have witnessed their usefulness diminish greatly over the last century. Sawmills owned by Mr. Danley and W.I. Cleverdon were part of the early scenery as was the turpentine, still operated by a Mr. Baker and Robins. Tradition has it, during the Civil War the still operators in the area dug trenches measured 25-feet-long, 10-to 15-feet wide and as deep as seven feet, in which they hid their rosin from invading Union troops. The first blacksmith shop was built by a Mr. Sawyer in 1905 but was destroyed by a storm in 1906. The business was rebuilt only to be torn down in 1937.

Summerdale is not what it once was, and that is not necessarily a negative point. Indeed, many communities, both local and nationwide, have long since disappeared completely. Summerdale has survived the dramatic changes wrought by the 20th century and beyond. Nevertheless, the community retains it’s sense of history and continues to evolve as do its residents