Near Blythe in Burke County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Hopeful Baptist Church
Cemetery & Historic Acreage
| | National Register of Historic Places | |
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 11, 2022
1. Hopeful Baptist Church Marker
Built 1850-1855, costing $5,000, this 4th building of Greek Revival style is unaltered and retains its original pews, pulpit, windows, shutters, moldings.
The church's white and Black antebellum congregations worshipped together the Baptist faith. In 1867 Black members formed Second Hopeful Baptist nearby, still active.
The cemetery (rear) dates to 1855 with graves: Nancy Palmer Johnson (1786-1855), mother of Ga. Gov. Herschal V. Johnson, 1853-1857, Rev. J. H. T. Kilpatrick (1788-1869) and wife, Harriett. He fostered missionary sentiment and was a first trustee of Mercer University.
Edmund Byne, founder, Byne family of Burke County, was the moving force in establishing Hopeful. He died in 1814 before seeing fruition of his labors. Hopeful's first service was dedicated to him.
Hopeful Baptist Church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places April 1, 1993.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites
this page online
Location. 33° 12.579′ N, 82° 8.045′ W. Marker is near Blythe, Georgia, in Burke County. It is on Winter Road 0.2 miles west of Mark Walden Road, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2973 Winter Rd, Blythe GA 30805, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Coastal Plain. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Carswell (within shouting distance of this marker); Ivanhoe Plantation (approx. 7.1 miles away); Skirmish at Ivanhoe Plantation (approx. 7.1 miles away); Hephzibah Methodist Church (approx. 7.3 miles away); First Ebenezer Baptist Church (approx. 8.1 miles away); Author "The Young Marooners" (approx. 8.8 miles away); Liberty Methodist Church (approx. 9½ miles away); Skirmish at Rocky Creek Church (approx. 10.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Blythe.
Also see . . .
1. Hopeful Baptist Church (PDF). National Register nomination for the church. (National Archives) (Submitted on June 17, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Hopeful Baptist. The church's rich history stretches back almost 250 years. (Historic Rural Churches of Georgia) (Submitted on June 17, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 11, 2022
2. Hopeful Baptist Church Marker
Featured marker is in the shrubbery on the right.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 11, 2022
3. Rev. James Hall Tanner Kilpatrick Monument
This monument directly in front of the church reads:
In appreciation of the ministry
of
James Hall Tanner Kilpatrick
(July 24, 1788 January 9, 1869)
Baptist minister in Georgia, 1822-1869:
Builder of missionary sentiment in the Hephzibah Baptist Association, 1822-1836; A first trustee and part donor of the site for the high school of the Hephzibah Baptist Association; A first trustee of Mercer University 1838-1842; A delegate to the first session of the Southern Baptist Convention, Augusta, Georgia, May 1845.
Erected by the History Committee
Georgia Baptist Convention
1982
of
James Hall Tanner Kilpatrick
(July 24, 1788 January 9, 1869)
Baptist minister in Georgia, 1822-1869:
Georgia Baptist Convention
1982
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 11, 2022
4. Hopeful Baptist Church Marker
This stone notes the year of the church's organization.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 17, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 17, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 986 times since then and 74 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 17, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
