Near St. Matthews in Calhoun County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Mount Pleasant Baptist Church
Photographed by Mike Stroud, January 2010
1. Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Marker
The first church built by African Americans at Fort Motte grew out of services held by slaves at nearby Bellville, Goshen, Lang Syne, and Oakland plantations. It was formally organized in 1867 by Caleb Bartley, Israel Cheeseborough, Cudjo Cunningham, Anderson Keitt, William McCrae, John Spann, and Harry Stuart.
Rev. S.A. Evans, the first minister, was succeeded by Rev. Henry Duncan, who served until his death in 1905. The sanctuary, built in 1869 on land donated by Augustus T. and Louisa McCord Smythe, was remodeled in the 1970s and the 1990s. Mount Pleasant School educated students here from the 1870s into the 1920s.
Erected 2002 by Congregation and the United Family Reunion,. (Marker Number 9-9.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1867.
Location. 33° 41.656′ N, 80° 39.001′ W. Marker is near St. Matthews, South Carolina, in Calhoun County. It is on Fort Motte Road (State Highway 419), on the left when traveling south. Located between Poindexter Court and Dillon Court. Touch for map.
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Regionally, this marker is in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, in Congaree Country, and specifically in Santee Cooper Country. 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 10 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: St. Matthew's Parish (approx. 1.8 miles away); John M. Bates Bridge (approx. 4.3 miles away); Site of Rebecca Motte's Home (approx. 4.7 miles away); Congaree River Ferries (approx. 4.8 miles away); Pine Grove Evangelical Lutheran Church (approx. 5 miles away); Honoring a Pioneer Woman (approx. 5.1 miles away); First Land Granted in Calhoun County Area (approx. 5.1
Photographed by Mike Stroud, January 3, 2010
2. Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Marker
Photographed by Mike Stroud, January 3, 2010
3. Mount Pleasant Baptist Church and Marker
Photographed by Mike Stroud, January 3, 2010
4. Mount Pleasant Baptist Church
Photographed by Mike Stroud, January 3, 2010
5. Mount Pleasant Baptist Church as seen along Fort Motte Rd. (State Road 419)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 20, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 23, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 2,598 times since then and 72 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 23, 2010, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
