JEFFERSON COUNTY, Miss. ( WJTV ) – In Church Hill, the old Wagner’s store is being refurbished, but since the store was once the center of the community, hopes are this will bring back the strong sense of community that was there.

“I sensed a sense of community and community gone by, and I dug further, and there is a community here in Church Hill. And it’s where I live now, and I’ve since realized there’s nothing better than a true sense of community all working together,” said Tate Taylor, the director of The Help and other films. He now lives in the Church Hill community.

The store is located where Highway 553 intersects with River Road and Church Hill Road north of Natchez.

“The store has always been the heart of the community. This is where people came to buy things and just to hang out and find out the news,” explained Carter Burns, the executive director of the Historic Natchez Foundation. “We really want it to be the heart to the community again. A lot of people from the Trace stop here at Church Hill to look at the church.”

The church is in regular use again. They had a big Easter Sunday service.

There is a GoFundMe for the church and the old store at Church Hill.

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

Daily News

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJTV.