Near Waverly in Pike County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
PP African American Settlement
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Eden Baptist Church
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., November 9, 2009
1. PP African American Settlement Marker (Side A)
Side A: PP African American Settlement
Thirteen African American families migrated to Pebble Township in Pike County in the early 1820s from Virginia. Some of the families were former slaves while others were freeborn people of color. Their farm knowledge and skill helped to make them prosperous, angering some of their white neighbors who began a campaign of harassment. Ten of the original African American settlers eventually moved away, but despite the difficulties with the white population, other African Americans continued to arrive to the settlement. They founded a church, later known as the Eden Baptist Church, built a meeting hall, and organized a school. Several of the families were also involved in the activity of the Underground Railroad. The PP Settlement thrived until the 1950s when, for economic reasons, residents moved to other communities.
Side B: Eden Baptist Church
The residents of PP Settlement organized the Eden Baptist Church, formerly known as the Union Baptist Church of the PP Hills, in 1824. The cemetery, located about three miles south, marks the original site of the church. It was established
this page online
Erected 2003 by Ohio Bicentennial Commission, The P & G Fund, and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 7-66.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Civil Rights • Man-Made Features • Notable Buildings • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1824.
Location. 39° 10.752′ N, 83° 7.26′ W. Marker is near Waverly, Ohio, in Pike County. It is on Nipgen Road (County Route 34) one mile west of Turkey Run Road, on the right when traveling
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., November 9, 2009
2. Eden Baptist Church Marker (Side B)
Regionally, this marker is in the Scioto Valley and in Southern Ohio Hill Country. It is also in the American Midwest, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: You Are On The Buckeye Trail (approx. 5.4 miles away); An Unknown Union Soldier (approx. 5½ miles away); An Unknown Soldier - Ohio And The Civil War (approx. 5½ miles away); Grave of Unknown Union Soldier (approx. 5½ miles away); German Settlers & Trustees Memorial (approx. 6.4 miles away); Anatomy of a Mound (approx. 6.7 miles away); Ancient Artists (approx. 6.8 miles away); Ohio's Protector (approx. 6.8 miles away).
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., November 9, 2009
3. PP African American Settlement / Eden Baptist Church Marker and Church
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., November 9, 2009
4. Eden Baptist Church
Photographed by Craig Doda, August 2, 2025
5. PP African American Settlement / Eden Baptist Church Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,907 times since then and 159 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 10, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 5. submitted on August 5, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.
