1020 Boundary Street or 736 Caldwell Street
City Directories and History: First Baptist Church was constructed in 1907 and the lovely Greek Revival structure is the work of Charles C. Wilson, a Columbia contractor. Click here to see added information on this address.
“There was no church in the village of Newberry until the year 1832. It seems that the people were satisfied and contented to continue without a church and to travel the broad road to misery and torment until Preacher Hodges, a Baptist preacher, commenced a protracted meeting in the old Academy Grove, in the year 1830 or 1831. He was assisted by Worthington, Childs, and a preacher from Fairfield, whose name I have forgotten, and Preacher Presley, who lived in the village. It was a great meeting, with a large congregation all the time for two or three weeks. After the meeting had continued a few days it seemed that a great change came over the people very suddenly. By the grace of God they left the broad rode and were ready now to walk in the narrow way that leads to a happiness in the upper and better world. Fifty or more professed to be converted and joined the church, the most of them the Baptist Church. They were ready and willing now to build a house of worship. That of the Baptists was built in the year 1832, the Methodists in the following year. If God had not sent Preacher Hodges here to wake up the people, when would a church have been built? The old men and their wives were the first to join—they joined the Baptist Church. Previous to this time there were about four or five in the village who were professors of religion and members of some church. The only churches accessible, that is the nearest, were those at Head Spring, Cannon’s Creek and Prosperity.”
Information from: The Annals of Newberry Co., SC – O’Neall and Chapman, Aull and Houseal Publishers – 1892
IMAGE GALLERY – photographer Bill Segars, 2007
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