Bagdad in Santa Rosa County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Bagdad United Methodist Church

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 24, 2019

1. Bagdad United Methodist Church Marker

Inscription. The First United Methodist Church of Bagdad traces its roots to a brush arbor in 1830. Dr. John Wesley Talley, a former missionary to the Choctaws, delivered the first sermons beside the Blackwater River and earned a $13 salary that first year. In 1837, the congregation erected a small wooden church building at the site, but it was destroyed by fire in the early 1880s. Construction of a new sanctuary began in 1885 on property provided by members W.H. Sindorf, H.W. Thompson, and W.A. Watson, who were partners in the Bagdad Sash and Blind Factory. The Rev. E.E. Cowan conducted the first worship service in the unfinished building that same year. Charles H. Overman drew the architectural design for the new church, and A.J. Brown led the construction. Brown later became the first Sunday School Superintendent. Built with choice lumber from the Bagdad mills, the church's shiplap siding was attached with square-cut nails. With funds raised by the Ladies Aid Society, electricity was added in 1909. The church bell was replaced in 1912, after a lightning strike. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in

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1987 as a contributing building in the Bagdad Village Historic District.

Erected 2018 by Bagdad United Methodist Church, and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1034.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1830.

Location. 30° 35.985′ N, 87° 1.894′ W. Marker is in Bagdad, Florida, in Santa Rosa County. It is at the intersection of Forsyth Street (County Route 191) and Overman Street, on the right when traveling north on Forsyth Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4540 Forsyth Street, Bagdad FL 32530, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Pensacola

and on the Florida Panhandle.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

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

Bagdad United Methodist Church and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 24, 2019

2. Bagdad United Methodist Church and Marker

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: The Thompson House / Skirmish on the Blackwater (approx. 0.2 miles away); Shipbuilding in Bagdad (approx. ¼ mile away); Native Trees (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Bagdad Mill Site (approx. 0.3 miles away); Hand-Drawn Fire Hose Cart (approx. 0.3 miles away); Civil War and Reconstruction in Northwest Florida (approx. 0.3 miles away); Forcade House (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Early History of Bagdad (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bagdad.

Bagdad United Methodist Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 24, 2019

3. Bagdad United Methodist Church

Bagdad United Methodist Church interior image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 24, 2019

4. Bagdad United Methodist Church interior

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, August 24, 2019

5. Bagdad United Methodist Church interior

Credits. This page was last revised on March 12, 2020. It was originally submitted on March 11, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 902 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 11, 2020, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.