Arkwright Community near Vincent in Shelby County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Arkwright Baptist Church
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, March 11, 2026
1. Arkwright Baptist Church Marker
Founded July 19, 1911 in the Arkwright community near the Atlantic Coast Line railroad crossing at what is now Highway 62 East. The first pastor was Brother T.M. Nelson. Services were held in Pop Ray's store until a storm destroyed the building. The congregation re-established under its present constitution in 1919 and began meeting at the current site, which was then the Bannister School, on property owned by Mr. E.E. Wallis. In 1925, the building officially became Arkwright Baptist Church when the Bannister School was consolidated with the other county schools. The building was bricked in 1957 and four Sunday School rooms were added. Families donated stained glass windows in memory of loved ones. In 1966. the educational building was constructed. Since that time, minor physical changes have been made but the beliefs have remained the same. In 2011, the church was listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage.
Erected by Alabama Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1911.
Location. 33° 21.182′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Birmingham Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep 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 territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Town of Vincent (approx. 2.6 miles away); Historic Harpersville (approx. 2.8 miles away); Harpersville Garden of Memories (approx. 3.1 miles away); Coosa (approx. 3.6 miles away); De Soto's Visit (approx. 5½ miles away); The De Soto Trail / Chief Coosa And His Dominion
Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, March 11, 2026
2. Arkwright Baptist Church & Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 12, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. This page has been viewed 16 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 12, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
