The Gazette
October 5, 1939

Is Believed to Have Been Founded in 1820’s

Having been requested by the Liberty Hill Primitive Baptist Church to give a brief history of the church, R. W. Rhodes and June Hudson, church moderator and church clerk, respectively, have searched all records at hand and submit the following.

“The earliest recordation that we are in possession of is April 5, 1845, which shows a regular Church Conference, making it very clear and evident that this same church had existed possibly many years before that date. In fact, according to the testimony of old brother Ben Taylor, who served Liberty Hill as church clerk for many years, their first building stood 20 years or more before they built a new one in the year of 1849. There is still some evidence of this still visible where the old church chimney mound still can be seen, and the fact that the first record shows the first conference held in the year 1845 would serve in part to corroborate old brother Taylor’s testimony in that it would readily be expected that they were occupying some kind of a house and were holding regular conference under a former constitution.

“It also would be reasonable to expect that the house they were occupying in 1845 was not a very new house at that time or they would not have torn it down in the year of 1849, as is shown in the church book. To say the least of it, we know the church is some older than we have records to show. In fact, according to good evidence, we think that Liberty Hill is at least 110 years old.

“We think there is some record in existence that will show that this church site was first measured off in 1820 or possibly 1825. We are writing the Standard Oil Company for their abstract that was made while they held a lease on this property. If we secure this information we will share it with the public in these columns.