Richard Curtis, Jr.
May 28, 1755 - October 28, 1811
| | Mississippi's First Baptist Preacher | |
Curtis migrated to Cole's Creek in Natchez District from South Carolina in 1780 and encountered Indian attacks, disease and inclement weather. Despite constant obstacles and harassment from the Spanish authorities, in 1791, he helped establish the Salem Church as the first Baptist church in Mississippi on Cole's Creek.
He was forced to leave the Natchez area in 1795 because the Spanish government, which controlled the territory, had outlawed Protestantism. Curtis returned in 1798 after the United States assumed control of the region, and organized Bayou Pierre Baptist Church near Port Gibson. It was the second Mississippi Baptist Church. In 1800, he helped organize Bethel Church in Wilkinson County (no called Woodville Baptist Church) and New Hope Baptist Church in Adams County.
When Curtis died on October 28, 1811, he was seeking medical relief from cancer at a friend's home on Beaver Creek in Amite County. He was buried there. The grave in located a brief distance from Ebenezer Baptist Church near Liberty. Curtis was indeed a committed crusader for religious liberty and Baptist convictions and deserves the accolades of all Mississippi Baptists and other freedom loving Christians.
Erected by Mississippi
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 31° 39.4′ N, 91° 8.156′ W. Marker is in Fayette, Mississippi, in Jefferson County. It is on U.S. 61 one mile south of Stampley Road, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fayette MS 39069, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Mississippi and in Natchez Trace Corridor. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Woodville Baptist Church (here, next to this marker); Organization of Baptist Churches in Mississippi
More about this marker. Located in the Mississippi Baptist Beginnings roadside display.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 19, 2017, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 2,358 times since then and 73 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 19, 2017, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. 2, 3. submitted on July 19, 2017.
