Spotsylvania Courthouse in Spotsylvania County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Spotsylvania’s First African American Church
Little Mine Road Baptist Church
The African American members walked a brief way down Mine Road to a patch of land where they established a church they came to call Little Mine Road Baptist Church. ln so doing, they became the first organized African American congregation in Spotsylvania County. Eighteen years later - after worshipping in makeshift quarters - the members had saved enough money to purchase land upon which to construct a church building. On September 1, 1877, the congregation’s trustees paid $2.00 to Reuben and Lucy Johnson for one-half acre on which to worship and call home.
By 1900 the church was thriving through the support of its members who were engaged in a variety of occupations. They were farmers, cooks, copper miners, nurses, railroad track workers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and sawmill employees.
On April 23, 1901, the congregation received more land via a gift from the estate of Jane R. Lee, a white neighbor and supporter of their efforts. By 1902, they had constructed and dedicated a new house of worship. This church was the site of another important event in the history of African Americans in this county. It was here in 1909 that a meeting of the Spotsylvania Sunday School Union took place in which it was voted upon and decided to build a high school for black children to attend. That school became the Spotsylvania Training School, later renamed in 1940 as the John J. Wright School.
In 1974, after more than 70 years of worship in that building, a new one, adjacent to the old, was constructed and dedicated. The new church was built by Spotsylvania resident and World War II U. S. Navy veteran, Bennie Carter. As a monument to the dedication, struggles and triumphs of its members, the steps from the 1902 building are memorialized (photograph beIow courtesy T. Miller). They are in memory of those who walked from second class members of Mine Road Baptist Church to first class members of their own church.
Through the years, the congregants were led spiritually by a number of ordained clergy:
...
In the early ... Of the 14 leaders to date, the pastor that served the longest was Rev. Henry Rickman from 1899 to 1934.
In 1965 with $100, the members began a building fund to construct a new church. In November 1974, with Rev. Herman Ellis as pastor, congregants held an emotional ceremony in which they walked from their 1902 building into their new church, where they are still worshipping and serving the community.
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Above: These are the steps from their first complete church building, erected and dedicated on Dec. 11, 1902. The wording carved on the second line is “Little Road”.
The African American Heritage Trail is supported in part by a Preserve America grant administered by the National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior. This product is based upon work assisted by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Erected 2015 by Spotsylvania African American Heritage Trail.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Churches & Religion. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1910.
Location. 38° 9.412′ N, 77° 44.281′ W. Marker is in Spotsylvania Courthouse, Virginia, in Spotsylvania County. Marker is on Lanes Corner Road (County Route 659) 0.2 miles south of Post Oak Road (County Route 606), on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7221 Lanes Corner Road, Spotsylvania VA 22551, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Social and Economic Richness in the Livingston District (approx. 3.6 miles away); Penny’s Tavern Site (approx. 5.3 miles away); Fredericksville Furnace (approx. 5.4 miles away); Spotsylvania's War Effort (approx. 6 miles away); Third Spotsylvania County Courthouse Site (approx. 6.6 miles away); Asbury’s Deathplace (approx. 6.6 miles away); Todd’s Tavern (approx. 7.3 miles away); a different marker also named Todd’s Tavern (approx. 7.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Spotsylvania Courthouse.
Also see . . . Spotsylvania African American Heritage Trail. (Submitted on June 22, 2015.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 14, 2021. It was originally submitted on June 22, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 472 times since then and 65 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 22, 2015, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.