Clay County AlArchives Church Records.....The Early Years of Black's Chapel-Campground Methodist Church Copyright Date 2022
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Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 November 14, 2022, 12:58 am



Township 19, Range 9, Section 10
Black's Chapel Road, Barfield, Clay County, Alabama.

Hillabee-Campground Methodist Church in Tallapoosa County, Bethlehem-Campground 
Methodist Church in Randolph County and Black's Chapel-Campground Methodist 
Church in Old Randolph County now Clay County Alabama. All begin in the pioneer 
days when people would erect a bush arbor, or tents, usually in the fall season, 
between "Cotton Pickin" and "Corn Pickin" bringing their families and supplies 
and camp for a week or so, holding religious services a few times a day and at 
night. 

Samuel W. Black and Henry Ferrell donated the land for Black's Chapel-Campground 
Church and Cemetery. The deed is dated July 27, 1858. The church building has 
always been in the current location. The building has been replaced several 
times over the years. 
The church is said to have been used for Confederate war meetings before and 
after that war.  A few of the enlistment records for CSA soldiers in the area 
state the place of enlistment as "Black's Store". Mr. Samuel Black ran the 
General Store in the area for many years. Samuel Black and his wife had a child 
to die around 1847. This child may have been one of the first graves or the 
first grave in the Black's Chapel cemetery. Many years after Mr. Black and his 
family moved to Texas the area was still known as "Black's Store". When word 
came back to Clay County that Mr. Black's wife had died in Texas. Rev. James M. 
McCain preached her funeral at Black's Chapel as if she still living in the 
community. The Black family was very respected in Clay County.  
Mr. Henry Ferrell is a mystery. Mr. Ferrell is found on the 1850 Randolph County 
census. He is said to have died in 1859 in Randolph County. The Shiloh-Delta 
Baptist church records list Henry Ferrell as a member of that church. Many of 
Mr. Ferrell's descendants were members of Christiana Baptist Church in Randolph 
County. It is doubtful Mr. Ferrell was buried at Black's Chapel.  

July-1887 Clay County Advance:
A protracted meeting is being carried on at Black's Campground up to last night 
ten had joined. Rev. L. M. Wilson and Rev. Jas E. McCain are doing the preaching 
and the members are doing the work much interest seems to be manifested, and I 
believe much good is being done. May God crown their efforts with the desired 
succuss.

Around 1897 the name of the community was changed to "Barfield" which brings us 
to another pioneer buried in Black's Chapel cemetery Mr. Solomon Barfield. The 
Barfield family was a very prominent family in the area. Another family is the 
DeFriese. Mr. Hoyt DeFriese, of London, England, an international lawyer who was 
reared in the Black's Chapel Campground community.

For decades the Gregg family held their family reunion at Black's Chapel church. 
The Black's Chapel Homecoming is the 1st Sunday in May. 

Early Pastors
Rev. James M. McCain 
Rev. C.W. Woolford 
Rev. W.T. Daniel 
Rev. R.A. Speer

Early Surnames of members:

Cole
Collier
Cook
DeFriese
Evans
Gregg
Hendrix
Hill
Hodnett
Ingram  
Latham
Owens

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/clay/churches/theearly210gbb.txt

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