Elder M. Lepard

Mathias Lepard pastored the Baptist Church at Henderson.

In 1850, Mathias Lepard was possibly living in or around Franklin County, Alabama. He reported a meeting with J. H. Rowland at Harmony Church in Franklin County in December 1850, and that he and Brother Rowland were spending their time riding and preaching within the bounds of the Big Bear Creek Association (Tennessee Baptist, Saturday, January 18, 1851, p. 3).

“Elder M. Lepard…had then [1853] but recently entered the State. As a preacher he was earnest, and a bold defender of the principles of that sect everywhere spoken against. The churches in Rusk County felt the power of his ministry only a short time, until a cancer claimed him as its victim. While absent from his family, in Tennessee, seeking medical aid, he passed to the upper sanctuary, in January 1859, and rests from toil and suffering.” Flowers and Fruits, Morrell, pp. 328-329.

Mathias Lepard may have lived in Cherokee County, Texas in 1853. At least he wrote a letter to the Tennessee Baptist from Cherokee County  in November of 1853. He reported a meeting at Ebenezer Church in Smith County in which 31 members were added to the church. (Saturday, January 14, 1854, p. 4).

M. Lepard preached the introductory sermon at the newly organized Texas Baptist General Association in 1853. This general Baptist organization was formed at Larissa, Cherokee County, Texas, in 1853. It met only two years; in 1853 at Larissa and in 1854 at Tyler G. G. Baggerly and M. Lepard – both of whom pastored the Baptist Church at Henderson – were active in this short-lived organization.

Elder M. Lepard was one of the presbytery ordaining John Whitmore to the ministry, at Ebenezer Church in Smith County. (Tennessee Baptist, Saturday, August 5, 1854, p. 3).

In 1854, Matthias Lepard wrote to the Tennessee Baptist: “The Baptist Church at Bellview, Rusk co., commenced a meeting Saturday before the 3rd Sabbath in August. I arrived there Monday. We continued seven days, during which time the good Lord revived the work in the church, many anxious persons crying for mercy. That, with the meeting in September, resulted in the addition of twenty odd. Fifteen followed Christ in baptism. Among that number was the wife of Bro. J. R. Wood, of Tenn., and one son and daughter. May the Lord still revive his work in Bellview.” (Saturday, November 18, 1854, p. 4).

M. Lepard married Almeda Wood in 1855. She was a daughter of John Rucker Wood and Agnes Payne Harris, and a sister of Agnes Wood who married a Baptist preacher, John H. Rowland. John R. and Agnes P. Wood donated the land for the Harmony Baptist Church at Bellview. In 1870 widow Almeda and son Mitton (or Milton) Lepard, were living with John & Agnes Rowland – who would have been her sister and his aunt and uncle. In 1860 they were living with her parents. In 1878, she married Charlie C. Owen or Owens. In 1880 they were living in Overton.

Mathias Lepard died in January of 1859 (according to Z. N. Morrell, while in Tennessee). At the time of his death, he was a member of the Harmony Baptist Church at Bellview (now called Pirtle). The following resolution of respect was adopted in their church conference in February of 1859 (though the paper has a typographical error of 1858). Since he died in Tennessee, a burial in Tennessee is assumed.

The Tennessee Baptist, June 11, 1859, page 4

Rusk County Baptists, 2020

Number of Baptist Churches in Rusk County, Texas in 2020: 49 or 97?

In researching for my Rusk County Baptist history, I became interested in the religious makeup of the population. I looked at the information from the data collected by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) for 2020. This is reported at the Association of Religious Data Archives site. A comparison of the number of Baptist churches I have located in Rusk County versus the data compiled by ASARB shows how far off our understanding of religious bodies in the United States is or can be. For 2020, ASARB identified 49 Baptist churches in Rusk County. I have identified 97 Baptist churches in Rusk County, that I believe existed in 2020 (even that is tricky, until I have contacted every one of these churches). I do not blame ASARB; they do not have the personnel and financing to do “boots on the ground” research for every county in the United States. They depend on reporting. However, the Rusk County Baptist History Project shows almost twice as many congregations and adherents as the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies found. [Note: I used estimation based on known numbers in order to come up with the number of adherents (church members) in each group for which I did not have statistics.] The ASARB count had 5 Baptist categories. I have added two that were missed. I have also changed National Missionary Baptist Convention (which is one specific convention) to National Baptist Conventions, in order to represent several conventions that have the name “National” in common.

Details and Explanations.

American Baptist Association. Total 16; count off by 6 churches. [Two of these have disbanded since 2020, and there is one new Hispanic church/mission, which I do not know whether it existed in 2020.] I estimated the total membership based on the average membership of the churches that were counted.

Baptist Missionary Association of America. Total 4; count off by 1 church, and no member statistics were given. I obtained my church member statistics from the 2017 BMAA Directory & Handbook, the closest date that I had to 2020.

Independent unaffiliated Baptists. Not counted. I identified 7 unaffiliated Baptist churches in Rusk County. One has disbanded (not sure whether that occurred before or after 2020). One of these may be in the BBFI (it used to be). I estimated the total membership based on the average membership of the similar churches (ABA, BMAA) in the county, but the total is probably high. I suspect that some of these churches tend to remove non-attending and non-resident members more so than the ABA & BMAA churches.

Primitive Baptists. Not counted. Even I did not know this church still existed until I started the Rusk County Baptist History Project. I thought they had disbanded, but the church simplyy changed meeting locations. I estimated the total membership based on the attendance.

National Association of Free Will Baptists. I used and repeated the ASARB count, but wonder if the Mt. Olive Church at Compton had already closed by 2020.

National Baptist Conventions. Total 36; count off by 31 churches. The African-American Baptist churches were severely undercounted. I lumped all these in one category since ASARB had only one category, but some of these churches probably participate in different National or General bodies than others. I estimated the total membership based on the average membership of the churches that were counted.

Southern Baptist Convention. Total 29; count off by 2 churches. Southern Baptists usually collect statistics diligently and accurately (as best we Baptists can). The count difference between mine and theirs might occur for any number of reasons. For example, two Kilgore churches are just barely in Rusk County and participate in the Gregg Baptist Association. They might have gotten counted with Gregg County (it takes a bit of carefulness to determine which county these two churches are in). One SBC church in Henderson merged with another church. I estimated the total membership based on the average membership of the churches that were counted.

According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the total population of Rusk County, Texas was 52,514 in 2020. If my estimation is reasonably accurate (which I think it generally will be) and if my math is correct (which it often is not), Baptists make up about 38% of the population of Rusk County.

Note: This is a preliminary finding, which I may need to adjust as I move this work forward.

Book review of Smyrna history

A History of Smyrna Baptist Church, 1873 – 2008. By James W. Griffith and Robert Lee Vaughn. Mt. Enterprise, Texas: Waymark Publications, 2009. 115 pp. 

In the words of that old song “brighten the corner where you are,” the church at Smyrna has been fulfilling its mission in south Rusk County, Texas for well over a century. First, the authors show proper deference to the congregation’s Georgia roots, home of half of the charter members coming from the Powell Creek church dating from 1786. Organized in 1873 at Chinquapin Spring, Smyrna’s initial action was to launch into a protracted revival meeting for several days, which added more new members. A spirit of local cooperation ensued from the start with fifth Sunday meetings and association and district meetings. Smyrna even invited visiting brethren to monthly business meetings. 

For its first fifty years, frequent mention is made of church discipline for sins great and small. Nevertheless, these were the days of ALL day church sings, dinner on the grounds, free will offerings of money and food for the needy, and visits from overseas missionaries from as far away as Syria. Since Smyrna evolved slowly into becoming a missionary Baptist church, the authors devote some time to the controversy of the day between the Board Party Faction and the Mission Party Faction. To students of Baptist history, this book opens a small window into how missions were funded and the controversy between R.C. Burleson and B.H. Carroll and those who opposed mission boards. The authors conclude that “unended bitterness” resulted from the early twentieth-century schism between Baptists. In 1892, the church moved a few miles and by 1907 had located in the Oakflat community where it is today. Over time it has often shared its facilities with the Methodists. 

Several customs and policies are worth noting such as the first women on committees about 1910 and one long-serving pastor between 1910 and 1930. Traditionally, pastors were recalled once a year by a church vote. In 1921, John Waller was so beloved that he was called to serve as pastor indefinitely. Other customs included the annual cemetery day, church reunions, third Saturday night church sings (including Sacred Harp music), and writing resolutions of respect for deceased members. In 1918, a resolution of support was offered for all their soldier boys in the Great War. 

In spite of strong emphasis on local control, Smyrna church was a key player in the Mount Zion Baptist Association and a big advocate of the associational missionary concept. Several young men were “liberated” (called) for the ministry in those early days. Shifting demographics saw a decline in church numbers as well as church discipline after World War II. Death and urbanization reduced membership, but these did not diminish the zeal for missions and the gospel. 

The research is good, and the writing flows fairly well. Leaders and church programs are covered equally well, and the appendices contain lists of former members, pastors, clerks, deacons, and current members. There is also a good historical representation through photographs. As the book of Revelation records, “To the Angel at the church in Smyrna write, ‘Keep the faith and pass on your traditions.’”—Reviewed by Don Brown, Adjunct Professor of History, Dallas Baptist University

Texas Baptist History: the Journal of the Texas Baptist Historical Society, Volume XXXII, 2012, pp. 87-89

Church naming conventions

When looking at our Rusk County history through the lens of Baptist history, one interesting feature is the church names – that is, the names by which one local Baptist congregation identifies itself as distinct from other local Baptist congregations. By far the most common are names based on Bible places and names based on the location of the church building (by town, street, etc.). Some names may incorporate more than one feature. For now I have categorized the church names into 9 divisions.

1. Auxiliary names.

Names that are auxiliary, that is they help distinguish with a simple identification often in reference to chronology, such as being the “first” church, “new” church, or “original” church.

First, Second, Greater, New, Old, Original. 

2. Bible names.

These names can be found in the Bible one way or another – most often from a place mentioned in the Bible. 

(Bible places) Antioch, Bethel, Calvary, Corinth, Ebenezer, Emmanuel, Enon, Macedonia, Mount Hebron, Mount Zion, Sardis, Smyrna, Zion; (Bible concepts) Grace, Middle Cross, Providence, Trinity; (Bible people) St. John, St. Paul.

3. Geographical feature names.

Features such as creeks, flats, hills, and valleys. There are quite a few “mount” names, but generally they are from Bible names (and may or may not relate to a “mountainous” land feature). Sometimes the geographical features become location/place names.

Beech Creek, Cool Springs, Gum Springs, Hickory Flat, Hickory Grove, Pine Grove, Valley Grove; (geographical feature + Bible name) Zion Hill.

4. Location or place names.

Just as described, the name is based on the where the church meets.

(communities and towns) Arlam, Glenfawn, London, Millville, Minden, New Salem, Stewart, Turnertown; (streets and roads) Longview Drive, Tyler Road, West Main; (neighborhoods) Highland Park, Shawnee Village (general direction/location) Eastside, Southside, Midway, County Line.

5. Personal/family names.

These are names that is based on the name of a person or family. There seem to have been only a few of these. St. Clark in Henderson may be one of these, but I do not yet know the origin of their church name.

Jameson Memorial (former name of First Free Will Baptist, named in honor of E. S. Jameson), Isabel Chapel (variant spelling of the Isbell family name), Mount Homer (former name of Henderson Primitive Baptist), perhaps after Homer Phillips or Homer Pool).

6. “Pleasant” names.

This is a term I am using for names often based on a biblical concept – such as “unity.” Some names combine the “pleasant” concept with another feature, such as geographical: Forest Home, Good Hope, Pleasant Grove, Pleasant Hill, Union Grove, and Union Spring.

Fairview, Fellowship, Friendship, Greater Love, Harmony, Heritage, Liberty, Maple Grove, Open Door, Unity, Victory. 

7. “Chapel” names. 

Chapel is a very common designation for Baptist meeting places in the United Kingdom, but it does not seem to be used as much in the U.S. 

Chapel Hill, Christian Chapel, Crims Chapel, Isabel Chapel, Jacobs Chapel, Owen’s Chapel, Smith Chapel.

8. Miscellaneous/uncategorized names.

(Texas history) Fredonia, Lone Star; (denominational/theological) Bible Baptist, Landmark; (patriotic?) Mount Vernon.

9. Spanish names.

The Spanish church names currently are “auxiliary” (Primera/First), “Bible” (El Cordero de Dios/The Lamb of God; El Camino/The Way) and “pleasant” (Nueva Esperanza/New Hope).

Another aspect of church names is the “sub-denominational” name (a name that tells what kind of Baptist). Many Baptist churches in their church names identify and denominate themselves within a certain type or affiliations of Baptist – Bible Baptist, Free Will Baptist, Missionary Baptist, Primitive Baptist. Southern Baptists usually give a clue on their signage as to their being Southern Baptist (SBC initials, the SBC logo) and churches in the ABA and BMAA sometimes do that as well. The group name “Primitive” was first a designation after an 1830s division of Baptists in the United States, “we are the original or primitive Baptists.” It came to be used as a sub-denominational identifier. Some earlier group identifiers are no longer used in Rusk County, such as Colored, Free, Predestinarian, Separate, and United.

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Note: A sub-denomination is a “subordinate denomination or class,” that is, Baptist being the denominational name of churches holding a common denominator of beliefs, and the sub-denominations being those who diverge from one another because of other distinct doctrinal differences.

Big Spring and Mount Vernon Anniversaries

The following announcements give us an idea of how old Big Spring Baptist Church and Mount Vernon Baptist Church are. 

In 2014 Big Spring was celebrating its 117th Anniversary, meaning it must have been organized circa 1897. Mount Vernon was celebrating its 100th Anniversary, meaning it must have been organized circa 1914.

Henderson Daily News, Sunday, November 2, 2014, p. 3A

Both of these Baptist churches are predominantly African American. Big Spring meets in the Big Spring Community in west central Rusk County. Mount Vernon meets just north of Henderson on Highway 43.

Association historical markers

The History & Archives Committee of the Missionary Baptist Association of Texas is responsible for erecting some memorial plaques for deceased ministers. There are several of these in Rusk County cemeteries, as well as on the grounds (plaza) at the Sweetgum Grove Museum in Henderson. In Rusk County I know of the following:

Ebenezer Cemetery

• Allen John and Anna Loree Nelson Kirkland (1984)

Holleman Cemetery

• J. W. Griffith (2000)
• O. H. Griffith (2007)

Sweetgum Grove Museum

The church museum was erected in 1982 by the History and Archives Committees of the Mt. Zion Association and Missionary Baptist Association of Texas. I believe those at the Museum included below all pastored in Rusk County.

• William Herbert Brown (2006)
• George Ballard Crawford (2003)
• Cub Havis McBryde (1999)

Zion Hill Cemetery

• R. E. Rodgers (1988)

In addition to this, there are some markers outside of Rusk County that memorialize men who pastored in Rusk County – such as G. D. Walters, who is buried in Polk County.

Baptist historical markers, 2024

I have found at least 15 Baptist churches in Rusk County have historical markers:

Antioch (Baptist Church and Community)

A group of freedpersons established the Antioch Community when they organized Antioch Baptist Church in 1866. The congregation planted five other area churches between 1884 abd 1914, and served as a focal point of the settlement. Another important institution was Antioch School, whose one-room structure was replaced by a four-room building financed through the Rosenwald Fund in the early 1920s; the school closed in 1966 due to integration. Residents interred the deceased in New Prospect Colored Cemetery; an additional burial ground, named Antioch Memorial Garden, was later added. Today, Antioch continues to be a community eager to preserve its rich heritage. (2009)

Arlam Baptist Church

Organized as Mt. Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church of Christ, this congregation began meeting in the Pine Flat schoolhouse in Nacogdoches County in August 1897. Eleven members met for services with pastor M. L. Hones in the schoolhouse until December of 1898, when they moved to the Arlam School in Rusk County. In 1904 the congregation, in cooperation with the Woodmen of the World Lodge, erected a new structure in the Arlam community, near the school, which they shared with area Methodists. A tornado devastated that structure in 1942, and a new sanctuary was built on the site of the old Arlam schoolhouse. By 1951 church minutes reflected the change of the congregation's name to Arlam Baptist Church. The church continued to thrive, serving the community with a variety of programs. (2000)

First Baptist Church of Henderson

Begun in 1845 by the Rev. Lemuel Herrin (d. 1852), pioneer missionary Baptist minister from Tennessee, this church was reorganized in 1850 by Elders John B. Renfro and J. O. Walker, and the Rev. Jesse Witt, who served as the first pastor. Total membership in 1850 was 21. In its early years, the fellowship shared a meeting place with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The present church building was dedicated April 25, 1954. At least three other congregations have been sponsored by this one. The membership has grown steadily in recent years to the current total of over 1800. (1976)

Forest Home Baptist Church

This congregation was organized in 1889 by the Rev. J. R. Goode and eight charter members: Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Jefferson Mercer; Mr. & Mrs. George Augustus Meadows; Mr. & Mrs. Isaac Johnson, Sr.; and Mr. & Mrs. Isaac Johnson, Jr. The first sanctuary was a one-room log structure with one door and no windows. It was replaced by a larger frame building which also served as a school for children from Rusk and Gregg counties. Additional facilities were built over the years to accommodate the growing congregation, which includes descendants of the charter members. (1990)

Hickory Grove Baptist Church

Cross Roads Community, located in northern Rusk County and southern Gregg County, recognized a need for a cemetery and church in 1911. In 1912, five acres of land which adjoined the pre-existing Hickory Grove Cemetery on the west side were purchased. Construction of a church began in late 1912. In 1930, the name was changed from Missionary Baptist Church of Christ at Hickory Grove to Hickory Grove Baptist Church. In 1991, the building was relocated across Rusk County Road 284 to land donated by the Still family. The original sanctuary was replaced in 1992 with a new auditorium. For over a century, Hickory Grove Baptist Church has been an active source of support for the community and those in need. (2014)

Liberty Missionary Baptist Church

Organized in the Sugar Hill community in 1866, the Liberty Missionary Baptist Church was accepted into the Mt. Zion Baptist Association in 1868. A new building was erected east of the original church and school in 1897. In 1927 the church had 68 members, and by 1945 the congregation reached a record 159. In 1949 and 1950 the church joined the Baptist Missionary Association on regional, state, and national levels; weekly worship services began in 1952. An expanded modern facility replaced earlier structures in 1991. The Liberty Missionary Baptist Church continues a proud tradition of religious worship and community outreach. (1998)

London Baptist Church

London Baptist Church traces its history to 1856. By 1857 church members shared meeting facilities with the Odd Fellows Lodge in a jointly owned building located on the stagecoach route from Henderson to Waco. The structure was destroyed by fire in 1877. In 1897 a new building was constructed near the same location. When oil was discovered in the area in 1930, London became a boom town and the church prospered, as well. Throughout its history, London Baptist Church has served the community with a variety of worship, educational, and outreach programs. (1991)

Mission Springs Baptist Church

Several members of Ebenezer Baptist Church, organized nearby in 1884, established Missionary Springs Baptist Church n 1894. The church is named for springs at the site of initial brush arbor services. The Rev. William Hendrix was called as first pastor in 1902, the year the church joined the Southern Baptist Association. A frame sanctuary was erected at this site about 1905. Renamed Mission Springs Baptist Church about 1918, the congregation has acquired new facilities over the years and continues its support of a Sunday School, youth groups, and home and foreign missions. (Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845 – 1995)

Mt. Zion Baptist Church & Cemetery (Laneville)

Pending (applied for, not yet erected)

New Prospect Baptist Church & Cemetery

Located on part of the Hansel Wright Survey, this congregation and cemetery were established in the 1850s. Many early church members, including organizers Thomas Ballenger (1811-1882) and B.F. Montgomery (1810-1900), migrated to the area from Spartanburg County, South Carolina. This site was named in honor of a church in their home state. The first property here was obtained in 1855 from Miles Yandle, the son-in-law of Hansel Wright. The burial ground contains the graves of many pioneer settlers and members of the fellowship. (1980)

Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church

Captain Robert W. Smith (1814-51), a veteran of the Texas Revolution, donated land at this site in 1845 for use by a Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The first building here, a log chapel, was also used for school classes. In 1856 the property was traded to a congregation of Baptists from the nearby community of London (4 mi. NW). Organized that year as Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, the fellowship has continued to worship here. The church and adjacent cemetery were legally separated in 1953 by court decree. (1980)

Sardis Baptist Church

In the 1850s, several families settled in an area that became Pleasant Grove, also known as Shake Rag. In 1911, the community organized a Baptist Church. The church met in the Pleasant Grove school house that was shared with the Methodist church. In 1921, Rufus and Mary Allen donated 1.5 acres and lumber from his sawmill for a church building. The deed expressly stated that the frame building would be shared by all denominations. The first pastor was Brother Deckert Anderson. In 1951, a Sunday School room was added, but in 1958, the building was sold and a larger church was built to accommodate the growing membership. The church is all that remains of this community. (175 Years of Texas Independence 1836-2011)

Smyrna Baptist Church

This congregation grew from the pioneer Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, which was organized in 1858. On August 16, 1873, following the earlier dissolution of Mt. Carmel, several former members and area residents attended a meeting at Chinquapin Spring which resulted in formation of the Smyrna Baptist Church. Early facilities at Chinquapin Spring and Redland were shared with local Methodists. A separate sanctuary was constructed here in 1907. Since the organization of Smyrna Baptist Church in 1873, the congregation has been a member of the Mt. Zion Association. (1981)

Sulphur Springs Missionary Baptist Church

While no church records predating 1895 exist today, tradition holds that Sulphur Springs Missionary Baptist Church dates to 1890, when area residents formed the congregation. They first met in the Sulphur Springs schoolhouse near the springs for which the community is named. In the early part of the 20th century, the congregation moved to this site, where it built a frame sanctuary. Other facilities were added during the next several decades as the church continued to grow. Over the years, members have supported other churches through the Texas Mission Builders program, as well as denominational organizations such as the American Baptist Association. (2005)

Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church & Cemetery

In 1867 Augustus Ferguson deeded 8.5 acres of land for a church and school. This congregation was formed in 1868, with the Rev. John Sparkman (1821-82) as the first Pastor. According to tradition, there were 15 charter members. Services were originally held in a log cabin. A frame church, built in 1880-81, was destroyed by fire in 1943 and replaced by the present structure. Unmarked graves in the nearby cemetery predate the church's founding. Burials there include church members, war veterans, and former slaves. (1978)

Other

In addition, the Campground Cemetery marker mentions that the “Mt. Zion Baptist Association, composed of thirteen area Baptist churches, was organized on this property in 1857” and the Redland Church historical marker mentions Smyrna Baptist Church.

Campground Cemetery

The Mt. Zion Baptist Association, composed of thirteen area Baptist churches, was organized on this property in 1857. The cemetery's name is derived from the use of the Mt. Zion Baptist Church sanctuary and grounds as a campsite by Confederate General John A. Wharton's Cavalry troop in 1864-1865. Although the first recorded burial is that of Guss Christopher in 1910, the presence of a number of unmarked grave sites suggests earlier burials. The cemetery contains about 140 burial sites and continues to serve as a graveyard for the surrounding rural community. (Sesquicentennial of Texas Statehood 1845 – 1995)

Redland Church

This church traces its history to 1873, when a small group of worshippers gathered together at Chinquapin Springs (one mile east) to build a community church. A small one-room log structure was completed on August 16, 1873, and was used by both Methodist and Baptist congregations.

 Land at this site was donated for church and school purposes by pioneer settler Hugh Blair. The log church at Chinquapin Springs was relocated here and used as a Union church and school. The Baptist and Methodist congregations continued to share the facility. Blair donated an adjoining acre of land in 1887 and a new frame sanctuary was built.

 The Baptist congregation ceased using the Union church in 1906 when they moved to the Oak Flat community and built a new church (now known as Smyrna Missionary Baptist Church). After 1906 the Union church was known as Redlands Church and was occupied solely by the Methodist congregation.

 The Methodist congregation disbanded in 1964 and the Redlands Church was purchased at auction by a group of former members. The building is maintained by a Board of Trustees and is used for special services such as memorials, funerals, and weddings.(1989)

Chalk Hill Community Church mentions Baptists

Worship services began about 1917 in the Chalk Hill schoolhouse until a church building was erected in 1921. Materials for the community church were purchased through donations solicited from the citizens of Chalk Hill. In 1925 the women sold baked goods and quilts to purchase a piano for the church. Through the years the structure has served the Baptist, Apostolic, Methodist and Presbyterian denominations. Owned by the community, the building continues to serve as a spiritual and social center of the Chalk Hill area. (1996)

Glenfawn Cemetery mentions church

Cemetery was begun after the death of Julien Sidney Devereux (1805-56), with the remains of his father, John W. Devereux (1769-1847), and an infant son reinterred soon after. Called Devereux and Sand Field, the plot served nearby Forest Hill community ( 1 mile N), site of academy founded by Devereux in 1850. Name was changed to Glenfawn in 1872 when post office opened with Charles Nunnally, postmaster. The settlement had several stores, two blacksmiths, school, church and Masonic Lodge building. The old Methodist-Baptist Church was located east of cemetery. (1973)

I thought Pine Hill Baptist Cemetery had a marker that mentions the Holly Springs Baptist Church, but I did not find the marker. Holly Springs Church originally met across the road from the cemetery.