Old Pleasant Grove Primitive Baptist Church & Cemetery

Old Pleasant Grove Primitive Baptist Church and Cemetery. Lauderdale County. In 1824, settlers from the Carolinas built Old Pleasant Grove Primitive Baptist Church, the first church in the Cowpen Creek area and one of the earliest churches in Lauderdale County. Although the cemetery was likely established before the church was constructed, the earliest recorded burial is of Sarah "Sallie" Richardson who died July 23, 1834, and was the daughter of Isham and Sarah Garner Richardson. Stephen Richardson a brother of Isham was buried here in 1840. Sarah "Sallie" Richardson Myrick a sister of Stephen and Isham died prior to the 1850 census and is also buried here. On October 22, 1861, John and Rachel Lawson sold two acres of land to Isham Richardson, a deacon of the church, for the expansion of the cemetery. Approximately 150 people are buried in the cemetery, some of whom settled in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. However, many settlers of the Cowpen Creek area are buried here including the Clemmons, Bradley, Richardson, Lawson, Harvelle, Myrick, Foust, Canerday, Ross, Owens, and Stanford families. Several veterans are also buried in the cemetery, including one from the War of 18 12, several Confederate soldiers, and one Union soldier.