The stone church at the intersection of Glenridge Drive and Mount Vernon Highway, today known as Misty Creek Community Church, began as Providence Baptist Church. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the church in 1938, and it was completed and consecrated in 1942. In May of 1967 a new brick church was built across the road. That church became First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs. The old stone church was also home to the Annie Houze Cook Kindergarten for many years.
Annie Houze Cook was born in 1883 to James Solon Houze and Martha Hembree Houze of Roswell. She attended Athens Normal School and then began teaching at Crossroads School at Mount Vernon Highway and Powers Ferry Road in 1910. She received $40 a month to teach at Crossroads and contributed $150 of her own money to buy new desks one year. During those days, the enrollment would vary greatly depending on whether children were needed to work on the family farm.
Beginning in 1923, Annie Houze Cook taught first grade at Hammond Elementary School in Sandy Springs and continued until Fulton County said she had to retire in 1948. When she retired, she immediately announced the opening of her kindergarten. Classes were held at what was then known as Providence Baptist Church.
The kindergarten program began in 1949 and continued until the early 1980’s. Annie Houze Cook believed kindergarten, which was not required at the time, was crucial to success for children in elementary school.
In a 1946 interview with the Atlanta Constitution, she gave her advice on how to help children become readers, saying “Reading to a child always helps him to read. I can spot the ones who have been read to. Give ‘em a book and they start reading it.”
Chris Curth shared his memories of the kindergarten along with his graduation day photograph. One of his favorite memories is playing in the huge pasture next to the church, which was later covered with trees and is now part of Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School.
Students of Annie Houze Cook kindergarten.
Chris remembers the annual Christmas play that he was part of, playing one of the wise men and walking down the aisle of the church in costume singing “We Three Kings.” He has fond memories of Annie Houze Cook.
A graduation ceremony with caps and gowns was an annual tradition. The kindergarten class marched into the church to music. Chris participated in this ceremony and then went on to attend Hammond Elementary, as did his sisters.
Reverend E. B. Shivers, Jr. was pastor at the stone church beginning in 1958 and continued at the new First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs until 1979. Pastor David Shivers, son of Rev. E. B. Shivers, later became pastor of First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs until his retirement. Rev. David Shivers grew up in the church and lived in a house on the corner of Glenridge Drive and Mount Vernon Road. He also attended the kindergarten of Annie Houze Cook and graduated from that program in 1965.
Annie Houze Cook kindergarten graduates 1956, including the daughter of Paul and Susan Player.
Mrs. Cook taught many children at the kindergarten who were children of former students. She died in 1975, but the Annie Houze Cook Kindergarten continued through the 1984-1985 school year. Her legacy and the precious memories of the Annie Houze Kindergarten live on.
Other sources cited include: September 16, 1946 Atlanta Constitution, Sunday School Best Tutor for Readers. Images of America: Sandy Springs, by Kimberly M. Brigance and Morris V. Moore for Heritage Sandy Springs.