Fairfield in Freestone County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Rev. George Washington Baines
(1809-1882)
Photographed by James Hulse, April 30, 2025
1. Rev. George Washington Baines Marker
A North Carolinian. Uneducated, at 21 he cut and rafted timber to pay for schooling. Received A.M. Degree, University of Alabama. Moved to Arkansas. Founded 7 churches. Served in Arkansas Legislature 1843-44. Lived and preached in Louisiana, 1845-49.
He had 10 children. His wife, Melissa Ann (Butler) died here in wartime. He made her coffin with his own hands. One of their great-grandsons Lyndon Baines Johnson, became 36th President of the United States, the first Texan to receive this high honor.
Churches were vital to military and civilian morale in Confederate Texas. Rev. Baines and other ministers led their congregations in prayer days, soldier relief work, aid to families, distribution of bibles. They also inspired numerous conversions.
Later Rev. Baines served as agent for the Baptist State Convention and its education commission.
Erected 1965 by State Historical Survey Committee. (Marker Number 9855.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education
this page online
Location. 31° 43.435′ N, 96° 9.642′ W. Marker is in Fairfield, Texas, in Freestone County. It is at the intersection of South Mount Street and W Bradley St, on the right when traveling south on South Mount Street. The marker is located at the northeast corner of the First Baptist Church property. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 S Mount St, Fairfield TX 75840, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Manahan House (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Freestone County (about 600 feet away); Captain L.D. Bradley (about 600 feet away); Val Verde Battery (about 600 feet away); The Fridolin (Fred) Fischer Home (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of Law Office General John Gregg (approx. 0.2 miles away); Butler Church Bell (approx. Ό mile away); 1881 Freestone County Jail (approx. Ό mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fairfield.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Old Freestone Jail (was approx. Ό mile away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . . George Washington Baines: Baptist Pastor and Educator
Photographed by James Hulse, April 30, 2025
2. Rev. George Washington Baines Marker
George Washington Baines, Baptist pastor, teacher, and editor, was born near Raleigh, North Carolina, on December 29, 1809, the eldest son of Thomas and Mary (McCoy) Baines. He was third in a line of four generations of Baptist ministers. His parents moved the family to Georgia in 1817 and to a farm near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 1818. Despite a limited academic background Baines entered the University of Alabama, where he paid his expenses by cutting and rafting timber. He was forced to withdraw from school during his senior year (1836) because of poor health. When he twenty-five he was baptized at the Salem Baptist Church. He was licensed to preach on July 20, 1834, by the Philadelphia Baptist Church of Tuscaloosa County and ordained on August 7, 1836, by the Grant's Creek Baptist Church. His father was among the signers of both the license to preach and the certificate of ordination. In 1837, in an effort to recover from his recurring dyspepsia, Baines moved to Carroll County, Arkansas.(Submitted on April 30, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Photographed by James Hulse, April 30, 2025
3. The view of the marker along the church property
Credits. This page was last revised on April 30, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 162 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 30, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
