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.