Trenton in Edgefield County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Horns Creek Baptist Church / Revolutionary Skirmish at Horns Creek

Horns Creek Baptist Church Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, October 10, 2008

1. Horns Creek Baptist Church Marker

Inscription. Horns Creek Baptist Church This church was constituted in 1768 by the Reverend Daniel Marshall, one of the founders of the Baptist faith in this part of South Carolina. Other early ministers of Horns Creek included Hezekiah Walker, Samuel Marsh, and John Landrum. The church was incorporated on January 20, 1790.

Revolutionary War Skirmish
at Horns Creek Not far from this historic church a skirmish took place in 1781. Captain Thomas Key of Colonel LeRoy Hammond's regiment attacked a party of Tories under the command of Captain Clark. The Tories were defeated, their captain killed, and the entire company captured and paroled.

Erected 1974 by Edgefield County Historical Society and Edgefield County Council. (Marker Number 19-6.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Colonial Era • War, US Revolutionary • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1775.

Location. 33° 43.283′ N, 81° 56.183′ W. Marker is in Trenton, South Carolina, in Edgefield County. Marker is on Old Stage Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is about six miles south of Edgefield, near the intersection of Old Stage

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and Yarborough Roads (both dirt roads). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Trenton SC 29847, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 10 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Horn's Creek Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Darby (approx. 3.8 miles away); Benjamin Ryan Tillman (approx. 4.1 miles away); John Gary Evans (approx. 4.1 miles away); John Calhoun Sheppard (approx. 4.2 miles away); James Strom Thurmond (approx. 4.3 miles away); Milledge Luke Bonham (approx. 4.3 miles away); Richard Tutt House / Tutt Cemetery (approx. 4.3 miles away); Francis Wilkinson Pickens (approx. 4.3 miles away); James Henry Hammond (approx. 4.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Trenton.

Regarding Horns Creek Baptist Church / Revolutionary Skirmish at Horns Creek. Despite its run-down condition, the interior ceiling paintings are in remarkably good shape and do not seem to be fading with age. Some have reported that as the church decays, the paintings grow more vivid. This has led to the suspicion that supernatural powers at work in the church. Local legend says that a mother and her daughter died in a carriage accident on a local bridge. (Incidentally, this bridge is one of the many in South Carolina with a Cry-Baby legend.)

Also see . . .

Revolutionary Skirmish at Horns Creek Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, October 10, 2008

2. Revolutionary Skirmish at Horns Creek Marker

1. Horns Creek Baptist Church. One of the oldest Baptist churches in the South Carolina Upcountry, Horn Creek was incorporated in 1790. (Submitted on October 21, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)

2. 225 years ago today - Horn Creek, South Carolina. After the action at Beattie’s Mill, General Pickens began to systematically reduce Loyalist strongholds and gather forces. (Submitted on October 21, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)

3. Horn's Creek Baptist Church. Ghost Hunting Investigation that we did last summer 2006. The location is the Horn's Creek Baptist Church in Edgefield, SC. (Submitted on January 1, 2010, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)

4. Elijah Clark Memorial State Park. Scroll to the bottom for photo of the Marshall Monument, erected in honor of Daniel Marshall. (Submitted on August 6, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.)

Additional commentary.
1. Horn Creek Baptist Church
Horn Creek Baptist Church, incorporated in 1790, a simple one-roomed country church, has no electricity and remains essentially unchanged. Supported by fieldstone foundation piers, the church has wooden steps; two front door hinged to fold in center; wide board floors and louver shutters. Door behind

Horns Creek Baptist Church -<br>East Side image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, October 10, 2008

3. Horns Creek Baptist Church -
East Side

pulpit leads to creek for baptizing. Adjoining cemetery has excellent iron work including cast iron gate at Bettis plot with design of Palmetto tree flanked by lambs and roses. Wooden picket fence next to Bettis plot surrounds fieldstone markers. Church is open on occasion for special services.

Significance
One of oldest Baptist churches in South Carolina up country, Horn Creek was incorporated in 1790. One of few remaining meeting house style churches reflecting austere simplicity and manifesting frugality of early settlers. Revolutionary activity in the Horn Creek area included 1781 skirmish in which Patriots, Captain Thomas Kee of Colonel Leroy Hammond’s regiment, attacked Tory party under Captain Clark. Clark was killed, and entire company made prisoners. Church burial ground has 18th century graves in fair condition. Plot fencing very from ornate iron work to old wooden pickets. (Source: National Register nomination form.)

— Submitted August 6, 2009, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.

2. Early Back-Country Churches: Horns Creek Church
Horns Creek Church, located about five miles south of the town of Edgefield and said to have been constituted about 1768, was probably a branch of Stephens Creek Church, though the history of its early years is

Horns Creek Baptist Church -<br>Front (North) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, October 10, 2008

4. Horns Creek Baptist Church -
Front (North)

lost. Rev. Messrs. Daniel Marshall, Saunders Walker, and Benjamin Harry covered this region with their missionary labors. Horns Creek Church appears as a member of the Georgia Association in 1788 with Hezekiah Walker as minister. In 1790 criticism of Mr. Walker came before the Bethel Association, which was about to proceed against him when a report was made in 1791 that Horns Creek Church had already acted in such a way as to produce "satisfaction respecting the charges..."

"Hezekiah Walker, John Frasier, and Samuel Walker with several other members...did their petition" ask and obtain incorporation by act of January 20, 1790, naming "The Baptist Church on Horns Creek in Edgefield County, in the State of South Carolina." John Bolger, a candidate for the ministry in 1792, soon left them.

Horns Creek asked dismissal from Georgia Association in 1801 to enter the Bethel Association in the next years. The important men in the congregation in 1802 were Samuel March and John Landrum, both of whom were ministers in 1803. This was a large and active church.

A second Horns Creek Church appears to have existed in 1790, which may have been a branch of Horns Creek. though more probably of Stephens Creek. Nothing is known of its location or history beyond the fact that Benjamin Harry was minister and the membership varied from twenty to twenty-five between 1790 and

Horns Creek Baptist Church and Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, October 10, 2008

5. Horns Creek Baptist Church and Cemetery

1794. (Source: South Carolina Baptists, 1670-1805 by Leah Townsend (1974), pgs 161-162.)

— Submitted January 1, 2010, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.

Detail of Stylized Palmetto Tree Used in Many of the Iron Fences Around Plots image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, October 10, 2008

6. Detail of Stylized Palmetto Tree Used in Many of the Iron Fences Around Plots

Horns Creek Baptist Church Cemetery image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, October 10, 2008

7. Horns Creek Baptist Church Cemetery

Horns Creek Baptist Church -<br>Interior Northeast Corner image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, October 10, 2008

8. Horns Creek Baptist Church -
Interior Northeast Corner

Horns Creek Baptist Church -<br>Detail of Ceiling Art image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, October 10, 2008

9. Horns Creek Baptist Church -
Detail of Ceiling Art

The reason for the art work is lost to history. No records survive that describe its painting or its reason.

Detail of Angel Decorations image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, October 10, 2008

10. Detail of Angel Decorations

An angel is painted in each of the four corners of the church's ceiling. One of the linked news articles states that each angel is different. This is not the case. The same angel is painted in each of the four corners.

Abandoned House Located Near Horns Creek Baptist Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Brian Scott, October 10, 2008

11. Abandoned House Located Near Horns Creek Baptist Church

Credits. This page was last revised on November 15, 2020. It was originally submitted on October 20, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 6,347 times since then and 95 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 20, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. 7. submitted on January 2, 2010, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina. 8, 9, 10, 11. submitted on October 21, 2008, by Brian Scott of Anderson, South Carolina.