NOTE: ALL of the below information is from http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2019 --
 The
W.C. Rice's Cross Garden is a frightening jumble of white crosses clinging
to hills on either side of a curving county road next to a trailer park.
Rough wooden crosses and peeling hand-lettered signs bearing Bible scripture
fragments are nailed to fences, trees, and each other. Everywhere, whitewashed
signs explicitly warn -- in bloody black paint -- "You will
DIE," and "HELL IS HOT HOT HOT."
Alabama is hot hot hot too, even on a summer night after seven, when the sun carves eerie shadows across the weedy red dirt. This is a folk vision and testament to one man's faith. On one side of the road is the "chapel," a dilapidated shack covered with Biblical graffiti. (photos below) Out back is a hole in the hill, the " Tomb of Jesus." And crosses are everywhere -- hundreds. Damnation alerts are printed not only on the crosses, but on fragments of washing machines, air conditioners, and other large appliances. Across the road, one pocket of signs has the theme "SEX PIT." One placard offers to sell the whole place for five million dollars -- CASH!
Rice put up his first crosses in 1976, after his mother died, inspired by a crossed wreath at her funeral. "Down in the front there's three crosses and four pine trees. I believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost...Pentecost, that's what we are. What I've done is what they told me to do. You know, they told Noah to build the Ark and he saved all those families, so I built it like they told me so I can save all MY families..." Rice has a couple of old Cross newsletters that chronicle the attraction's rescue of souls, notably some of his own kin. "People die around the clock. The sad part of it is, souls are dropping off into Hell as we speak." The warning label is here, and some take heed. Rice knows time is running out. The Gates of Heaven are much narrower than the Gates of Hell, and the queue is already backed up. "
"One or two percent of the people outta this whole world are gonna be saved. Now, what's gonna happen to that 98 percent? Huh? They're going to Hell. I'm giving you scripture. I didn't write it." Remember, it's HOT HOT HOT."
William Carlton Rice passed away on Jan. 18, 2004, at home, surrounded by his family and his Cross Garden. W.C. had been hospitalized for a few weeks fighting pneumonia. He was buried at Prattville Memory Gardens. According to Montgomery Advisor writer Blu Gilliand, widow Marzell Rice said the family plans to maintain the Cross Garden. "We're going to keep it going," said Marzell. "We promised him that." According to Blu, the family may even add on to the Garden in the future. |
