New Hope in Glynn County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)

Needwood Baptist Church and Needwood School

Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008

1. Needwood Baptist Church and Needwood School Marker

Inscription. Needwood Baptist Church was organized in 1866 on nearby Broadfield Plantation as Broadfield Baptist Church of the Zion Baptist Association. This structure, built in the 1870s, was redesigned in 1885 when the church moved its congregation here. Its formation and history are representative of religious development in the context of plantation rice culture. The nearby one-room Needwood School provided elementary education for this community from 1907 until desegregation in the 1960s. Both structures are examples of early African-American vernacular architecture.

Erected 1999 by Georgia Historical Society and the Pilot Club of Brunswick, Inc. (Marker Number 67-1.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Churches & Religion • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1866.

Location. 31° 16.957′ N, 81° 26.454′ W. Marker is in New Hope, Georgia, in Glynn County. Marker is on U.S. 17, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located 1 mile south of Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation State Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Brunswick GA 31525, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

, measured as the crow flies. House Servants Quarters (approx. 1.7 miles away); Hofwyl Plantation (approx. 1.7 miles away); Commissary - Pay Shed (approx. 1.7 miles away); Hofwyl Dairy (approx. 1.7 miles away); Twentieth-Century Changes (approx. 1.7 miles away); The Legacy of the Land and the Stewards of Hofwyl-Broadfield (approx. 1.7 miles away); Enslavement, Resistance, Creativity, and Resilience (approx. 1.8 miles away); If Trees Could Speak… (approx. 1.8 miles away).

Additional commentary.
1. Condition of church and school
I pass by the church and school everyday and see the disrepair saddens my soul. Such a wonderful part of history and remembrance of a society who gave so much to this area not be taken care of is untenable in my opinion. Is there a plausible reason why there is little or no restoration?

— Submitted February 7, 2023, by Jean Adams of Brunswick, Georgia.

Needwood Baptist Church along US 17 image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, November 2, 2008

2. Needwood Baptist Church along US 17

Needwood Baptist Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2008

3. Needwood Baptist Church

Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2009

4. Needwood Baptist Church and Needwood School Marker

Schoolhouse in distant background

Needwood School image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2009

5. Needwood School

Needwood Baptist Church and Needwood School image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, 2009

6. Needwood Baptist Church and Needwood School

Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 15, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,118 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 15, 2008, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 10, 2009, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Christopher Busta-Peck was the editor who published this page.