The Caney Fork Baptist Church is located east of Scottsville, Kentucky. While the church is no longer in use, the congregation is still hosting reunions.
It is associated with the historic Caney Fork Rosenwald School.
Located near the Tennessee border, the Lebanon Church of Christ is located in Monroe County, Kentucky. I’ve been unable to find additional information on the church.
The Second Baptist Church began in 1855 with over 100 members. As one of two Black churches in Mayslick, it played a crucial role in the Underground Railroad. The current building was constructed in 1913 and remains in use today.
On April 8, 1866, Zion Baptist Church in Marietta, Georgia, was established by 88 formerly enslaved individuals who left First Baptist Church to form their own congregation. Rev. Ephraem B. Rucker, Zion’s first pastor, laid the foundation with deacons and Sunday School. Growth continued, and it was determined that the church would build its first physical home in 1888 at the corner of Haynes & Lemon Streets.
Eventually, the church built a much larger building across the street to house its much larger congregation. The church is still active today.
The original building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
I don’t remember how I found out about this church, but it’s been on my list for a while to photograph. I finally got the chance to do so this past weekend.
Located in Cherokee County, South Carolina, the Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church is right at the crossroads of Wilkinsville, a town of approximately 700 people. Wilkinsville is southeast of Gaffney. For those unfamiliar with Gaffney, it’s the town with the big peach butt in the sky off of I-85.
Often when I am researching the history of a place that isn’t well known, I am uncovering a lot of details through news articles and, for churches and cemeteries, obituaries. I must commend the research of Tom Taylor at Random Connections. He did a remarkable deep dive into the history of the Wesley ME Church. If you want in-depth research, please head to his site.
In a nutshell, the congregation was formed in 1915. The stone structure was built in the 1940s after a storm damaged the previous building. While the cemetery is still active and well-maintained, the church closed by 1970.
Wesley Chapel Methodist Church
Wilkinsville SC Nov 15, 1943
Willie Edward Corry, School Teacher
Architect And Builder
Directors
Levi Garrett, A. C. Corry, James Love,
G. Dewey Harris
Workers
Jossie Love, Ressie Rodgers, Addie Corry
Strossie Mae Harris
Treasure
John Davis, Beatrice Jefferies
Secteary
Vestor Harris, Ninnie Hambright
Geo W. Davis, Emily Davis
Meansville Baptist Church is located in Pike County, Georgia. Built in the 1880s, the church is a classic gabled-roof church in rural Georgia. The congregation built a new church, and this building was converted to a residence at some point. The building was abandoned many years ago.
