Historic Reeves Grove Baptist Church and Cemetery

Historic Reeves Grove Baptist Church and Cemetery. St Clair County. , The roots of Reeves Grove Baptist Church can be traced to Wake County, North Carolina, with the family of Charles Brumfield (1745-1826). He supported the Revolutionary War cause and was a staunch Baptist and church lay leader. About 1819, his daughters, Charity Neely and Elisabeth McCorkle, granddaughter Louisa McCorkle Reeves, and their families planted new roots in Alabama, in an area later named Whitney. The Reeves and McCorkle families founded a homestead on extensive acreage west of Mulkeroy Creek and south of a protective mountain. Upon her mother's death in 1840, Louisa and her husband, Anderson Reeves, inherited the property. In the 1870s, Louisa donated some of the land for a place of worship. J. Wesley Sheffield Sr. solicited funds for construction via horseback. Logs were bought and sawn at a mill north of Gadsden and sent down the Coosa River by raft, then hauled by oxen cart to the church site. Craftsman John Partlow and volunteers hewed the logs and split the shingles for the 1872 log church, which joined the Cahaba Valley Baptist Association in 1875. Peyton S. Montgomery served as the first pastor. In 1878, Louisa officially deeded four acres of land for the church, family cemetery, and slave cemetery., Reverse Side , The 1878 deed signed by Louisa Reeves with an "X” stated that her love for God and His people compelled her to donate the land, and alluded to building a school. In 1890, a Sabbath school formed with 35 members. Louisa's act of love also resulted in the construction of a one-room schoolhouse. J. Cowan Sheffield served as schoolmaster. By 1902, church membership had grown to 109, with 30 more added during a 1910 landmark revival. In 1912, Mark Beason raised funds for a church bell. Expansion and change came during the 1950s and following years. In July 1951. Louisa's granddaughter Della and her husband, Wallace Beason, donated some of the original property for a new cemetery. In 1981, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Tucker donated a steeple, and the 1912 bell was displayed at the front entrance. The church next added a baptistry with a stained-glass cross designed by Florence Cole. In 2008, the congregation built a new church and the old structure became neglected. Thus, the RGHLC formed in 2017 to restore and preserve the church's history and heritage. We honor the pioneers of each era, 1819-2023, and all who entered the doors and founded a historical legacy with roots that continue to grow. Listed in the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on March 28, 2018 .