Rocky Mount in Nash County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Falls of the Tar Church

Photographed By Mike Stroud, July 18, 2011

1. Falls of the Tar Church Marker

Inscription. Constituted as Particular Baptist, 1757; Rev. John Moore & Joshua Lawrence among early ministers. Now Primitive Baptist.

Erected 1977 by North Carolina Office of Archives and History. (Marker Number E-88.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Colonial Era. In addition, it is included in the North Carolina Division of Archives and History series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1757.

Location. 35° 57.944′ N, 77° 48.286′ W. Marker is in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, in Nash County. Marker is on Hunter Hill Road near Benvenue Road (North Carolina Highway 43), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 Hunter Hill Rd, Rocky Mount NC 27804, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. First Post Office of Rocky Mount (approx. 0.2 miles away); Donaldson's Tavern (approx. ¼ mile away); Lafayette (approx. 0.3 miles away); Falls Road Bridge (approx. 0.3 miles away); Rocky Mount Mills (approx. half a mile away); Rocky Mount Mills School (approx. half a mile away); P.T. Barnum (approx. 0.6 miles away); Sanitation Workers' Strike (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rocky Mount.

Regarding Falls of the Tar Church.

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While the exact founding year for the church known as Falls of the Tar is unknown, there is evidence that it was constituted, or possibly reconstituted, as a Particular Baptist church in 1757. It was during the decade of the 1750s that a division took place within the Baptist church. To describe the split simply, some of the General Baptists aligned themselves with rigid Calvinist theology to become Particular Baptists, and some Baptists who wished to develop a more evangelical worship style became Separate Baptists.
The first known building constructed for the Falls of the Tar was erected in 1764 and was twenty feet by thirty feet. This church was located on a one acre plot that was the gift of William Horn. At the point of constitution as a Particular Baptist Church, the minister was Rev. John Moore. One of the more remarkable ministers to serve the Falls of the Tar congregation was Joshua Lawrence, a leader in the Primitive Baptist movement (North Carolina Office of Archives and History)

Falls of the Tar Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, July 18, 2011

2. Falls of the Tar Church

Photographed By Mike Stroud, July 18, 2011

3. Falls of the Tar Church

Falls of the Tar Church Marker seen along Hunter Hill Road, at Benvenue Road (State Road 43) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Mike Stroud, July 18, 2011

4. Falls of the Tar Church Marker seen along Hunter Hill Road, at Benvenue Road (State Road 43)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 19, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 1,121 times since then and 44 times this year. Last updated on May 5, 2023, by Michael Buckner of Durham, North Carolina. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 19, 2011, by Mike Stroud of Bluffton, South Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.