Cape Charles in Northampton County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Elijah Baker

Pioneer Baptist of the Eastern Shore of Virginia

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2023

1. Elijah Baker Marker

Inscription. who landed at Hunt's Point, Old Plantation Creek, on Easter Sunday 1776 and the same day preached the first Baptist sermon, “At the End of a Horsing Tree.” Opposition of the established church caused him to be deported; but kind Providence brought him back. He was later imprisoned 56 days in the Old Debtors' Jail at Accomac for the crime of preaching the Gospel. (Acts: IV; 19, 20)

In gratitude for the rich heritage that is ours because of his suffering and imprisonment, this memorial is erected by the churches of the Accomac Baptist Association, April 4, 1926.

Erected 1926 by Accomac Baptist Association.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Law Enforcement • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is April 7, 1776.

Location. 37° 14.784′ N, 75° 58.346′ W. Marker is in Cape Charles, Virginia, in Northampton County. It is on Charles M Lankford Junior Memorial Highway (U.S. 13) 0.1 miles south of Jacobia Lane (County Road 682), on the right when traveling south. Marker is mounted at eye-level on the left side of the Lower Northampton Baptist Church entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 24280 Charles M Lankford Junior Memorial Highway, Cape Charles VA 23310, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

on the Delmarva Peninsula,

and in the Tidewater.

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

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markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Elijah Baker (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to the Arlington Sites Preserve (approx. 2.1 miles away); American Indians (approx. 2.1 miles away); European Settlement (approx. 2.1 miles away); African Presence (approx. 2.1 miles away); Archaeology (approx. 2.1 miles away); The Custis Tombs (approx. 2.1 miles away); Cape Charles Colored School (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cape Charles.

Other markers no longer nearby. Arlington (was approx. 2 miles away but has been confirmed missing); Mansion Site (was approx. 2.1 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Bacon's Rebellion (was approx. 2.1 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Indians (was approx. 2.1 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Slavery on the Eastern Shore (was approx. 2.1 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

More about this marker. An identical marker is located on the Drummondtown Baptist Church grounds in Accomac, Virginia.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Elijah Baker

Also see . . .

Lower Northampton Baptist Church (<i>southeast elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 18, 2023

2. Lower Northampton Baptist Church (southeast elevation)

(marker is mounted on left side of church entrance)

When Accomac, Va. Put the Baptist in Jail, 1778.

A friend from the Eastern Shore invited Baker to sail over and spread some Good News on this side of the Chesapeake Bay. He arrived on Easter Sunday in the momentous year of 1776. By that point, the religious revolution known as the First Great Awakening had already rolled through other colonies. Here in Virginia, however, the Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist faiths were still mostly unknown — and decidedly unwelcome.

(Submitted on May 24, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 24, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 626 times since then and 47 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 23, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.