Sumter in Sumter County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Jehovah Baptist Church
Baptist Church
Organized 1911
Rev. F. K. Kershaw
Rebuilt 1934
Rev. A. B. McPhail, Pastor
Present structure built
1952 - 1954
Rev. B. J. Weston, Pastor
J. M. C. Dwyer, Clerk
Erected 1954 by Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1911.
Location. 33° 54.352′ N, 80° 20.356′ W. Marker is in Sumter, South Carolina, in Sumter County. It is on South Harvin Street south of Royal Avenue, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 810 S Harvin St, Sumter SC 29150, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in South Carolina’s Pee Dee. 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 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Kendall Institute (approx. half a mile away); First Baptist Church (approx. 0.7 miles away); Henry J. Maxwell Farm (approx. 0.9 miles away); Mount Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church (approx. 0.9 miles away); Clara Louise Kellogg (approx. 0.9 miles away); B.T. Williams House (approx. 0.9 miles away); Lincoln High School (approx. one mile away); Sumter Dry Goods Co. (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sumter.
Also see . . .
this page online
In the year of our Lord, Nineteen Hundred Eleven, the first congregation of Jehovah Baptist Church met in a house on Manning Avenue in the southern part of the City of Sumter, South Carolina on the corner of South Harvin Street and Royal Avenue. Although he did not assume the pastoral role, Rev. T. K. Kershaw, a strong financier, financed the construction by his own personal means. Rev. L. C. Crafton, a student pastor from Morris College, was the first pastor of the church.(Submitted on June 1, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)
Additional commentary.
1. About the cornerstone
While most cornerstones do not serve as historical markers, this one does. It shares who founded the congregation and when.
— Submitted June 1, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 1, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 1, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
