OLD HEPZIBAH CHURCH AND CEMETERY

Jonathan Kennon Thompson Smith

Located eight miles southwest of the public square in Lexington via U.S. Highway 412 and Sand Ridge Road. At a point on the east side of Sand Ridge Road, 3 miles south of its juncture with U.S.412, turn onto a field road, Hepzibah Cemetery Road, and go .7 mile to a gentle wooded slope on which this burial ground is situated, one of the oldest burial grounds in Henderson County. For decades a Baptist meetinghouse stood at this location. Not long after the First World War, the congregation moved to a new location several miles to the north, at Sand Ridge, on Highway 20. The cemetery entered a long period of neglect as the older generations died and the younger generations buried their kindred elsewhere. In 1985 the cemetery was "restored" but it is again in a pitiable condition, some of its tombstones having been vandalized, others fallen from natural causes. Although the tombstone inscriptions have been copied here, numerous errors crept in, justifying a thorough copying of its legible inscriptions, which the present writer attempted to do, August 8-9,1997. It might be noted, here, that some of the stated ages on the tombstones do not match the legible dates of birth and and death inscribed thereon. Although there are no tombstones at their graves numerous black people were buried in years past in the southeast corner of this cemetery. Among them, according to death certificates: GEORGE YOUNG, died July 30, 1914 aged about 21 years; EVOGENE YOUNG, died July l, 1917, aged 2 years, child of CORNELIA YOUNG; ELIZA PRIDDY, died November 24,1917 aged about 3 years.

The Hepzibah Baptist congregation was in existence by the fall (September 27) of 1828 when it was first represented as a participating member of the Forked Deer Baptist Association, at Hopewell in Henderson County, being represented by its messengers Elder Daniel Webb, E. Lawler and Cullin Andrew.(This association had been organized at Liberty meetinghouse in Madison County, Tennessee in October 1825.) Elder Webb, who was for many years principal preacher at Hepzibah had represented the Beech River congregation in this association's annual meetings in 1826 and 1827.

Elder John Parker (died 1864), who settled at what is now Parker's Cross Roads in northern Henderson County, had been a member of the Hepzibah congregation in Wake County, North Carolina where records in the North Carolina Baptist historical collection at Wake Forest University reveal that he had been ordained as a preacher August 28,1823; dismissed from there in January of the next year, preparatory to his move into western Tennessee (Henderson County) where he affiliated with the Forked Deer Baptist Association and prominently connected with it for many years. It has been thought that he may have been responsible for the Baptist congregation at Hepzibah for having borne that church name. However, he was affiliated with another Baptist congregation locally, Mt.Ararat, which he frequently represented at the annual association meetings and at which he served several times as moderator.

The minutes of the Forked Deer Baptist Association (on microfilm at the Southern Baptist Library and Archives in Nashville) reveal that Elder Daniel Webb,S .Hansborough, Jehu Lawler, Thomas Beal and S. House variously represented Hepzibah at association meetings over the years. The association met at Hepzibah in September 1835 at which time Elder Webb served as moderator. In September 1839 the congregation "begged", i.e., petitioned to be excluded from the association, its membership evidently wanting to affiliate with another association.

The Big Sandy Association of United Baptists was organized at Cypress meetinghouse in Benton County, May 13,1837;congregations represented were Cypress (in what is now southwest Camden), Hollow Rock, New Hope, Birdsong, Martin's Creek and Shady Grove. At the association meeting at Hollow Rock in Carroll County, in September 1841, a petitionary letter was presented to the association by Elder Daniel Webb, Jehu Lawler and William Reed, asking that Hepzibah be admitted to the association but for some reason the petition was not "received", i.e., accepted at that time.

Hepzibah (membership 38) was eventually accepted into this association and was first represented in September 1846; represented by Jehu Lawler and Robert Bevel.("Minutes of the Big Sandy Baptist Association,1837-l894, page 26, in the B. D. Bryant Memorial Library, Milan, Tennessee). It was represented the next year by Abner Lawler and A. Hart. Other association meetings:

page 32, September 1848, Daniel Webb, John Teague, Daniel G. Webb
page 35, September 1849, D. G. Webb, J. R. Read, John Lawler
page 39, September 1850, Robert Bevel
page 43, September 1851, D. G. Webb, S. W. Webb, Abner Lawler
page 48, September 1852, J .R. Read, Robert Bevel, G. T. Webb
page 52, September 1853, J. R. Read, John Lawler
page 56, September 1854, J .R. Read, D. G. Webb, J. Teague
page 56, September 1855, J. R. Read, D. G. Webb, G. Phillips
page 65, September 1856, J. R. Read, G. T. Webb
page 69, September 1857, J. R. Read, A. Hart , Abner Lawler
page 73, September 1858, J. R. Read, D. G. Webb, A. Hart
page 77, September 1859, J. R. Read, J. Lawler, A. Lawler
page 82, September 1860, John Lawler, Abner Lawler, D. G. Webb
page 86, September 1861, John and Abner Lawler

With a relatively new, enlarged frame meetinghouse the congregation hosted the Big Sandy Association annual meeting, September 19-21, 1857. (pages 69+)

On September 10, 1850 members of the Brown family donated the four acres on which the Hepzibah meetinghouse stood and adjacent cemetery was located, to the congregation's representatives, ABNER LAWLER and DANIEL G. WEBB, trying thereby to provide a lasting legal situation for the congregation's house of worship and adjacent cemetery. The deed for this conveyance reads: (taken directly from photocopy of the original deed kept in the office files of the Sand Ridge Baptist Church)

STATE OF TENNESSEE
HENDERSON COUNTY

For and in consideration of the respect we have for religion and for and in consideration of the obligation we hold ourselves under to protect the graves of our deceased friends, neighbors and relatives, we, ELIZABETH BROWN, JOHN D. BROWN, WILLIAM M. BROWN, VINCEN BEAL and ELIZA C. BEAL, formily /formerly/ ELIZA C. BROWN, JAMES R. BROWN, ABNER S. BROWN and WILLIAM DIFFEE all of the state and county aforesaid and do transfer and convey unto ABNER LAWLER and DANIEL G.WEBB as commissioners in behalf of the Regular Baptist Church at Hephzibah and their successors in office for the purpose herein before mentioned and for no other purpose whatever a certain piece or parcel of ground whereon Hephzibah meeting house and the two graveyards adjacent thereto is now situated (viz) Beginning on a stake and white oak nine poles west of the most western northeast corner of WILLIAM DIFFEE's late entry no. __ runs south sixteen poles to a stake with small red oak hickory and chestnut pointers thence west twenty eight poles to a stake and white oak thence north sixteen poles to a stake blackoak and hickory the south west corner of the graveyard lot and on north in all thirty five poles to a black oak and hickory thence east seventeen poles to a black oak and hickory thence east seventeen poles to a stake walnut spanish oak and blackoak thence north thirty and a half poles to a stake thence east six poles to a stake and blackoak thence south four poles to a Spanish oak thence west five poles to a stake thence south twenty seven and a half poles to a Stake and blackoak thence west six poles to a stake and poplar thence south eighteen poles to a stake and whiteoak pointer thence east sixteen poles to the beginning lying on the headwaters of Middleforkedeer and being a part of grant entry no.2019 in the name of WILLIAM DIFFEE and containing by estimation four acres and 9-1/2 poles be the same more or less, to have and to give the same to the said ABNER LAWLER* and DANIEL G. WEBB as commissioners in behalf of said Hephzibah church and their successors in office forever, we further covenant with said ABNER LAWLER and DANIEL G. WEBB that we are lawfully seigned of said land, have a good right to convey it and that the same is unencumbered. We further covenant and bind ourselves our heirs and representatives to warrent and forever defend the title to said land and every part thereof to the said ABNER LAWLER and D. G. WEBB and their successors in office against the lawful claim of all persons whatever, this September the 10th day 1850.

ELIZABETH BROWN her mark; JOHN D. BR0WN; WILLIAM M. BROWN; V. BEAL, ELIZA C. BEAL, JAMES R. BROWN, ABNER S.BROWN, WILLIAM DIFEEE. Witnessed by L. S. LAWLER and GEORGE PHILLIPS

STATE OF TENNESSEE
HENDERSON COUNTY

Personally appeared before me Levi McEWEN clerk of the county court of said county L. S. LAWLER and GEORGE PHILLIPS the subscribing witnesses thereto the within and with whom I am personally acquainted and after being duly sworn according to law dispose and say that they are personally acquainted with each and every one of the bargainers thereto and that they saw them sign the same, given under my hand at office, August 7th 1866. LEVI McEWEN, C1k.

STATE OF TENNESSEE
HENDERSON COUNTY

I JAS. A. HENRY register of said county do certify that the foregoing deed with the clerk's certificate thereto was duly filed in my office the 7th day of August 1866 at 1 oc post meredian, noted in file book No.4, page 12. And registered in Record Book T on pages 61, 62, 63. Witness my hand at office this 14th September 1866

JAS. A. HENRY Register

Refiled Oct.16, 1897 in file book #9. Jno. A. Jones, register. Deed re-recorded in Deed Book 16, page 376, Oct. 16, 1917.

*Abner Lawler (1822-1901) eventually moved to Hill County, Texas.

Reference is made to the two graveyards in this deed of gift, the historic one being that nearest to the old meetinghouse and another one, on a high point, where the Diffee, Hood and other tombstones stand marking graves at the present time. It was likely the Brown family graveyard, this part set over to the north. The old meetinghouse stood on six sandstone piles, three on each side of the building; the foundation piles are yet in place. The old building faced west, towards a road that came from the west from what is today Sand Ridge Road. It stood approximately on the plat map at the right between meeting and house. It consisted of one large room, lighted by three windows on each side of the house. The pulpit stood at the east end of the house. Entrance was through two separate doors facing west; there was a smaller access door on the east end also. The cemetery was located about 80 feet to the north of the meetinghouse and at one time a gate opened into the fenced-in cemetery from the north side of the meetinghouse. Tall cedars and poplar trees grew within the cemetery. The old house stood on a small rise which afforded a picturesque view of the rolling landscape to the west.

Through the subsequent years of the Civil War the congregation was not represented at association meetings and by the fall of 1866 they were no longer represented at these meetings. It was at this time, under the leadership of Elder G. T. Webb that the pro-mission members of this congregation took over the church property. The members who did not believe in the missionary outreach concept became known as the Primitive Baptist Church which is still a viable religious organization.

Sometime in the 1870s the Hepzibah congregation first affiliated with the Beech River Baptist Association which had been organized October 13, 1871.The extant association's printed minutes date essentially from 1881 at which time Hepzibah was represented at the association meeting held in September by J. T. LAWLER, J. M. BELL and D. KIMBROUGH. In September 1884 the congregation was represented by G. B. DAWS, A. J. WALKER and JAMES MOFFITT (whose obituary stated that he joined this congregation by baptism in 1868). In September 1886 the congregation was represented by N. P. LAWLER, JAMES REED and ED MOFFITT; in September 1890 by D. B. NICHOLS.

The congregation had begun to dwindle in membership and was not represented at association meetings from about 1892 until it disappeared entirely from affiliation in 1896.Except for occasional services the old meetinghouse was allowed to "delapidate." The Reverend C. E. AZBILL took on the challenge of repairing the old building in hopes of reactivating a congregation there. In the Beech River Association's printed minutes for 1916, in a report of the executive committee, it was mentioned (pages 10-11) that "Your Board has taken the initiative in putting a new roof on the Hepzibah Church seven miles west of Lexington ...it is hoped to revive the work of this once flourishing church." A drawing of the old meetinghouse, based on a photograph, was drawn by Herschel K. Smith and is reproduced in this article.

On September 18,1917 Reverend AZBILL and Reverend FLEETWOOD BALL, pastor of the Lexington Baptist Church, met with Mrs.SUSIE NICHOLS, one of her sons, two of her daughters, HENRY HALL and his wife and reorganized the Hepzibah congregation. (BAPTIST AND REFLECTOR, volume 95, number 22, May 30,1929, page 8) At the association meeting a few days later the new congregation consisting of six members were represented (association minutes, page 7), as a once-again active congregation.

As the congregation grew it was decided by its members to begin plans to move to a new location, to the north, on the Jackson-Lexington road at a point north of the juncture of the Crucifer Road with this larger travelway. On July 25,1924 CLAUDE G.HALL and wife, BUNA B. HALL, conveyed an acre and a half to HENRY HALL, U. V. MORRIS and S. E. LOVE, trustees of Hepzibah Baptist Church, located as indicated above, for its new site. This move was made in 1924. (Henderson County Deed Book 68, page 261; year 1924; Deed Book 84, page 69, year 1961) At the association meeting in September 1924 it was announced that "We have now under construction a new house of worship for Hepzibah church, one of the very best in the association." (association minutes, 1924, page 17) It was built near the Sand Ridge Schoolhouse. Towards the end of the 1920s the Tennessee Highway Department laid a new pike bed for the Jackson-Lexington highway, becoming highway 20, at first a good gravel road, eventually hard-surfaced. The Hepzibah church stood facing the old road which at this point lay just a few feet north of the newly-laid stretch of highway.

In 1927 the name of the congregation was changed from Hepzibah Baptist Church to Sand Ridge Baptist Church and the former "was not disbanded and not reorganized as the Sand Ridge Baptist Church but that the only change made was the change in the name and that present Sand Ridge Baptist Church is the same church as the original Hepzibah Baptist Church." (Henderson County Deed Book 84, page 69; affidavit of S. E. Love and Chester E. Ballard to this effect, filed June 26,1961) However, the congregation continued to be represented in association meetings as Hepzibah until the 1941 annual meeting (association minutes,1941, page 5) The association meeting was held there, September 20-21,1940. In 1941 the congregation's membership was numbered 154 souls.

The old meetinghouse stood vacant for many years, slowly decaying. The site of this house was acquired as a part of the farm of a black man by the name of Osage Cawthon. It was probably in the late 1930s that while burning off a field that the fire got away from Cawthon and reached the old meetinghouse, burning it to the ground. All that remains of this venerable old building are its sandstone foundation piles; at the time the old house was repaired in 1916 the building was shortened in length, 35 feet by 25 feet as these piles would suggest. The old road leading from Sand Ridge Road (called the Crucifer Road at that time) was turned back into being part of a cultivated field and approach to the cemetery thereafter was through a field from another field road to the north of the cemetery.

Late in 1961 construction began at Sand Ridge on a new brick sanctuary, in front of the 1924-1925 frame building; in 1974 a brick educational annex was built at which time the old frame building was demolished. In recent years, 1988, an addition was built to the sanctuary. This is now an attractive church plant with an active, worthwhile membership.

The new cemetery, located just to the west of the church and parking lot at Sand Ridge was deeded by the congregation formally to the Sand Ridge Cemetery Association, March 22,1955. (Henderson County Deed Book 76, page 529) At the time of this transaction burials had been made in this cemetery for many years.

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From the 1837-1894 BIG SANDY BAPTIST ASSOCIATION MINUTE BOOK, pages 121-122:

Obituary of Elder Daniel Meals and wife

The former was born Nov the 25th 1791, and departed this life Jan the 6th 1870 in the 79th year of his age. The latter, Mary Ann Meals his wife, was born March the 2nd 1789, and departed this life July the 1st 1868 in the 80th year of her age. They had lived together nearly 59 years. They both joined the Regular Baptist in 1816; and lived and died in the full fellowship of the Baptists, , without a delinquent mark against them. They left six children, three of them belonging to the same church, to mourn the loss of their beloved parents. All who knew them are left to mourn their loss, as they died having no enemies. Brother Meals had been a servant of the church from the time of his joining it, to his last.

He served after he was ordained, between twenty and thirty years; and for many years as Moderator of the Association. In his last illness he seemed resigned and composed. He said that he was fully satisfied that the doctrine which he had embraced was the truth, the doctrine of God and the Bible; and he was willing to meet the God whom he had worshiped, and account for his stewardship, as he would reconcile no other to his experience and the Bible. In his last hours he repeated the following lines sumingly with much composure.

The time of trouble and joys, Geat God are in thy hands
My sweetest comforts come from thee and go at thy commands
If thou shouldst take they all away, I dare not then repine
Before they were presented by me, they were entirely thine.

He was a strong defender of the doctrine of the Resurection of the dead for which he suffered persecution by some, while contending for its doctrine with the pact(?) who says

My flesh shall slumber in the ground
Till the last trumpet joyful sound
Then burst the chain with sweet surprise
And in my Savior's image rise.

S. H. Meals Moderator
N. G. Phillips

Buried in the Coffman Cemetery near the Carroll-Henderson Co's. line are buried with a double tombstone:

ELD. DANIEL MEALS
B/Nov.25, 1791
D/Jan. 6, 1870
Aged 78 yrs. 1 mo. 11 da's.

MARY A. MEALS
w/o Eld. Daniel Meals
B/Mar. 2, 1789
D/July 1,1565
Aged 78 yrs. 3 mos. 29 das.
Married May 10, 1810

They were members of the Regular Baptists with whom they lived in full fellowship 53 years and opposed to the two/Seed and Sadducee doctrine. Father we yield our spirits up,/We trust then in thy hands/Our dying flesh shall rest in hops And rise at thy coemand.

Their son,Elder Samuel H.HEALS.1513-1595 buried here also.

(Note: In November 1955, DORA LILLIAN PEARSON DAVIS of Lexington, a grand niece of Elder DANIEL MEALS, informed the present writer, in an interview, that LOUIS MEALS had sons, DANIEL and JOHN MEALS (the latter of whom married ELIZABETH MURROW and had children: VICIE PARLEE, NOVA, WILLIAM FAYETTE and TOMMY.LOUIS MEALS had daughters: BETSEY, wife of JOHN COFFMAN; MARY, wife of GREY WILLIAMS; BERNICE, wife of a MAYFIELD; __, wife of a DOUGLASS.)

IBID., page 99:

Obituary

On the 25th of September 1862 Brother Daniel G. Webb of Henderson County, Tennessee was summoned by the great Father's messenger to leave his earthly ____ with all the Trials and Sufferings and the like to mingle as we hope with that Heavenly Choir in Praising his Exalted Savior. He had been a member of the regular baptist for about twenty-five years or more. He had been a pious and orderly Deacon and ____ both in word and doctrine. He left a kind Christian wife and six children to mourn the loss of a pious husband and father and the church and brethren a useful member and ____ment of Society. He bore his affliction with much fortitude and his last words were

Jesus can make a dying bed
Feel soft as downy pillows are
While on his breast I lean my hand
And breathe my life out sweetly there.

THE FORKED DEER BLADE, Jackson,Tenn., February 13,1891

Rev. G. T. Webb died at his home on East Baltimore street Wednesday morning. Mr. Webb was born April, 6; 1819, married Nov. 28, 1838, began preaching in 1847, since which time he has been an active minister in the Baptist church. He was a man of strong character, vigorous mind, and kind heart. He was pastor of Hepsibah Baptist church, near Luray, Henderson county, for over forty years, at which place, at his wish, his mortal remains were buried. He leaves a widow and one son, and many friends to mourn the loss of a good and true man.

On his tombstone at Hepzibah, Elder Webb's birth year is rendered 1817.

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The old Hepzibah minute book, October 1867-July 1881, now owned by Inez Nichols Lott of Green Cove Springs, Florida, was originally intended as a "Hepzibah Sabbath School Book" but was instead converted for use as a book of regular congregational minutes. Elder Gardner T. Webb pastored this congregation until the fall of 1873 when Elder D. W. Perkins assumed that role. The conduct of members was closely guarded in those times; some were "excluded" from membership for breach of conduct in card-playing, intoxication and other "sins." Forgiveness was readily extended when it was sincerely sought. Two of the prominent members of the church, James Moffitt and W. C. Nichols (who was church clerk from 1871 for a number of years) were excluded for "intoxication," the former in June 1869 and readmitted in September thereafter after asking for "forgiveness"; the latter being readmitted in June 1869. Dock Fesmire was excluded for "profane language & playing cards" in June 1869.

A membership list in the front of the 1867-1881 minute book contains these names:

W. T. LAWLER ,d.73 (died 1873?)
W. C. NICHOLS
E. T. LAWLER, dismissed by letter
G. T. WEBB, dismissed by letter
MARTHA M. WEBB, dismissed by letter
TURLY HOPPER, dismissed by letter
B. E KNOTTS, excluded
A. LAWLER, dismissed by letter
Mrs. BROWNING, dead
Mrs. LAWLER, dismissed by letter
Mrs. NANCY BEVELL, dismissed by letter
Mrs JANE LAWLAR, excluded
Mrs. MARY DIFFEE
Mrs .MARY E. FLAKE, excluded
Mrs. MUNES, dismissed by letter
A. J. MARLING, dismissed by letter
E. A. LAWLAR, dismissed by letter
WM. MUNES, dismissed by letter
JAMES S.FLAKE
JAMES A. LAWLAR, dismissed by letter
WM. FESMIRE, excluded
Mrs. HOPPER, dismissed by letter
MRS. BOUGHN
ERASCO TAYLOR
JAS .M. MOFFITT, excluded*
T. S. LAWLER, dismissed by letter
HORRES PHILLIPS, dismissed by letter
MARTHA AYRES, excluded
AGNAS KNOTTS, dismissed by letter
CAROLINE MOFFITT
MARY ARGO, dismissed by letter
JULEY A. MOFFITT
NANCY MOFFITT, dismissed by letter**
WILLIAM WOODS ,excluded
WILLIAM BROWN
JOHNATHEN KNOTTS,dis. by letter
MARY PARSONS
Mrs. DARDAN, excluded
SANDRAS BOSWELL, dismissed by letter
E. A. READE, dismissed by letter
JAS .McALISTER ,excluded
WILLIAM AYRES, excluded
MALINDA WILLIAMS, dismissed by letter

*He was later readmitted
**Wife of Robert D. Moffitt, died November 21, 1879; buried in Old Bethel Cemetery, Henderson Co.

Another membership list from the mid-1870s:

W. C .NICHOLS
Mrs. MARY DIFFEE
JAMES S. FLAKE
Mrs .P. BAUGHN
ERASCO TAYLOR
HORRIS PHILLIPS
CAROLINE MOFFITT
JULIA MOFFITT
WILLIAM BROWN
MARY PARSONS
THOMAS PHILLIPS
GEORGE BAUGHN
JAMES W. BAUGHN
G. RHOADS
JAMES McKINNEY
J. M. LAWLER
ELISABETH LAWLER
TENNESSEE LAWLER
MARINA LAWLER
A. SMITH
MARY SMITH
JOHN T. SMITH
SARAH J. SMITH
MARY TERRILL
NANCY HART
M. J. WATSON
ED MOFFITT
Miss LUCY THREADGILL
D. B. NICHOLS
Dr. JOHN COCK
B. O. SMITH
N. P. LAWLER
S. T. NICHOLS
Miss ELIZA MOFFITT
JOSEPH TERRELL
HARRIET TAYLOR
JOHN WALKER

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Sand Ridge Baptist Church was chartered as a religious institution, August 12, 1997. (Henderson County Charter Book 44.page 217)

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ANNUAL SINGING

Under the leadership of a former Confederate Captain, MALCOLM RUSSELL, the first annual, all-day gospel singing was held at the old Hepzibah Baptist meetinghouse, initiating a "songfest" which continues to the present day. The singing event has been held the first Sunday in each July which involved congregational singing and for many years special quartets and other singing groups and individuals. Russell continued the event for many years but just as the regular religious services were suspended for a few years so was the singing event but even several years before the congregation was reorganized in 1917 the singing event was reinstituted under the leadership of E. L. Fesmire and J. S. Teague (Hephzibah Singing Gives Thrill to 2000", THE NASHVILLE TENNESSEAN, July 1952; an article written by Gordon H. Turner), both of whom have been deceased for many years. In its heyday, this annual event drew several hundred people each year who came to sing and to hear sung their favorite gospel songs. This Sand Ridge singing occasion is now led by the congregation's music director and is held on the afternoons of the first Sundays each July.

Go to Hepzibah Cemetery