Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, Ohio

The Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, located outside of South Point, was built in 1849.  During the early part of the 1800s, Baptists in the area held services in their own homes.  However, when a group of 37 freed slaves from Virginia formerly owned by James Twyman arrived in the area, they joined the current congregation and built the historic church.

The church remained the focal point of the African American community well into the 20th century.  Many social activities, such as picnics and dances were held at the church, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. 

No longer in use, the church has acquired a reputation by locals of being haunted.  Reports of shadows, lights flickering, and hymn singing coming from within have been reported.  An early HPIR investigation took us to this location, where the only thing reported was the fact that several members felt a tingling energy sensation.  At this time, there is not enough evidence to deem this location as haunted, so if you have any
additional info, please email me!

Info from Lawrence Register

HPIR Investigation Page

8 comments:

  1. who is the founder of this church

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  2. Thanks for visiting the site, jdemie! According to the Lawrence County Register:

    Burlington area religious leaders, George Bryant, Charles Roberts and Henry King organized the Burlington Macedonia Church in 1830.

    The church building was built in the fall of 1849 on Macedonia Ridge north of Burlington, Ohio. Before 1849, the church members were worshiping in cabins belonging to the individuals in the congregation. Eli Thayer of Massachusetts was an abolitionist congressman and founder of Ceredo, WV who supplied lumber for the church. The former slaves and their white neighbors carried the lumber across the Ohio River in rowboats, transported it up Macedonia Ridge and erected the present structure.

    Hope that answers your question!

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  3. Baptist history has been characterized by a lot of intrigues .Quite a number of churches go by the name the “First Southern Baptist Church”, which makes one to wonder how all these churches can be first. This article will take a critical look at the origin of this denomination and the development of the First Southern Baptist Church.

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  4. My father's entire family came from this church, beginning in the late 1800s. I interviewed any of the descendants in 1990, who talked about their lives there as children. It also served as the schoolhouse for everyone in the community. It has a very rich history!

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    Replies
    1. Those interviews sound absolutely fascinating. Thank you for sharing your connection with this wonderful location, that, as you said, has such a rich history!

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  5. i live right by that and me and my friends think that my house is haunted

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  6. My grandparents live in the first trailer you see after passing the big mansion at the split to Charlie Creek and Macedonia road

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  7. Does anyone know any history about the graves that are a little further past the church. Not down the hill, but they're right after the house that looks like a t-cup upside down. (i call it the cuphouse, my dreamhome) but there's a small cemetary just past that on the right.

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