FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF CROWVILLE, Franklin Parish, LA Submitted by DeWanna Lindo 19-Oct-2001 Source: Birds Eye View of Crowville by: Crowville Chapter FHA 1976 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF CROWVILLE The first Baptist Church in Crowville community was built in 1871, about one-quarter mile east of Crowville in a community called Hurricane. On January 23,1871, William J. Wright sold to the denomination known as the (White) Missionary Baptist eighty acres of land around Hurricane for five hundred dollars. John Holloway and Ashley A. Sanders were commissioned by the Missionary Baptist Church of Christ of Hurricane to purchase these eighty acres of land. On the original deed, fifty-cents of United States Internal Revenue stamps were affixed and canceled. The deed for the eighty acres of land from William J. Wright to the Baptist Church of Christ at Hurricane was recorded in the courthouse, in Winnsboro, Louisiana, Feb.4, 1871. On July 13, 1872, Ashley A. Sanders, Francis M. Long, John Holloway, Tyre Davidson, Gabriel House, John Terrell, and William Carter, members of the Missionary Baptist Church of Christ of Hurricane, appeared before Notary Public Alexander R. Hendry. The object of this meeting was to form a charter for the church. The men representing the church desired to form themselves into a corporation or body politic in law and to acquire the right and power of a body corporation in order to hold and control property to be used for religious and educational purposes. The body, by this "Act of Incorporate," became known as "The Baptist Church Of Christ" at Hurricane, Franklin Parish. The corporation was to be composed of seven or more members, who would hold their offices during life, unless disqualified by disorderly conduct. The officers of the corporation were to be comprised of five trustees who were to be chosen by a majority of the members of the body at the first meeting held after the organization of the corporation. At their first meeting a President of the Board of Trustees of the Baptist Church of Christ of Hurricane was to be elected, and his successors in office were designated as the person to who citation and all other legal process would be served if this body were sued. This body would also have the right to sue or be sued, and all suits if favor of the body would be conducted and carried on by the President of the body. The "Act of Incorporation" states the corporation shall exist and continue perpetually and have the right to make such by-laws and such rules and regulations as would be necessary to carry on the design and object of this organization and for their own government, provided nothing was done contrary to law. The corporation was to be composed only of people who had been immersed and received into fellowship within the Baptist Church Of Christ" at Hurricane and who held and subscribed to the ABSTRACT OF FAITH, which they attatched to the original Act of Corporation. It was stated in this act that vacancies which occured in the corporation by death or otherwise would be filled by an election by the remaining members or by the church of which the body were members. If any member of the corporation were to reject the ABSTRACT OF FAITH; then he would loose his membership in the corporation, and the vacancy would be filled by a majority of the votes of the body. Also in the charter it is stated that a majority of the Body shall constitute a quorum to transact business; and they shall be authorized to receive and accept property by sale, by donation, or by other means and to sell and transfer property. On February 9,1889, representative members of the Baptist Church Of Christ" of Hurricane, elected Trustees of the Church, (A.A Sanders, W.D. Sturdivant, John Terrell, G.W. Hodge, and S.T. Jossop) appeared before E.C. Abel and G.W. Lockhart, good and lawful witnessess, and Alexander R. Hendry, notary public, Winnsboro, Louisiana, to ammend the original Act of Incorporation made July 13, 1872. The amendment provided for the moving of the church from Hurricane to Crowville and for the changing of the name from Baptist Church of Christ of Hurricane to Baptist Church of Christ of Crowville. On May 10, 1889, one and one half acres of land fronting on the Harrisonburg Road (Highway 578) in the town of Crowville was purchased for twenty-five dollars from Mrs. Sara E. Russell, who was living in Weatherford, Texas. Mrs. Sara E. Russell was represented by John F. Trezvant of Franklin Parish. Mr. A.A. Sanders, President of the Board of Incorporation representing the Baptist Church of Christ domiciled at Crowville, initiated the transaction. Witnesses for the transaction were W.J. Cordill and A.D. Moore. A church was erected in the southwest corner of this plot of land and the remainder was used as a "Free" burial ground. A contract between the Baptist Church of Christ of Crowville, and the Methodist and Presbyterian denominations was initiated on May 23, 1889. Representing the Baptist Church of Christ of Crowville was A.A. Sanders; representing the Methodist and the Presbyterian denominations were W.J. Cordill, W.S. Sisson, T.W. Harris and J.S. Copeland. The agreement was that, since the Methodist and Presbyterian denominations aided in the building of he church house on the lot purchased May 10, 1889, the Methodist and Presbyterian denominations were granted the right to worship the second and fourth Sabbath in each month annually so long as the church stood or until the contract was legally changed. Therefore, the Baptist Church of Crowville served as a union church for a number of years. On September 19, 1899, A.A. Sanders, president of the Board of Incorporation of the Crowville Baptist Church acting in behalf of the church, sold the eighty acres of land purchased from William J. Wright to Mr. Ezra M. Clark. The land was sold for four dollars an acre, and the total amount paid by Mr. Ezra M. Clark to the Baptist Church of Crowville was three hundred twenty dollars. The church was torn down in 1911, and on the same site a new Baptist church building was constructed in conjunction with the Crowville Masonic Lodge No. 370. This building was a two-story structure and the Masons contributed financially to the building ot the second floor as well as to the church as a whole. The second flor of this church was used for the Masonic meetings for many years after the church moved across the road to a new location. Dr. C.M. Jarrel, on February 24, 1923, donated to the Baptist Church of Crowville, additional property for enlarging the cemetery to be used for the general public. Mr. W.A. Simmons accepted the property in the name of the church. On May 31, 1938, Mr. A.A. Bush and Company, Ltd., donated land to the First Baptist Church of Crowville. The land is located on the northwest corner at the intersection of East and West Street and hte Harrisonburg and Delhi Road (Highway 578). This frontage is 428.2 feet along the west edge of the highway and 385.2 feet deep. This transaction was witnessed by Myrtis Collier and J.L. Payne. At this time D.L. Walters, Sr. was the chairman of the deacon body. A new church building was constructed in 1938, and in the mid-fifties an educational wing was constructed as a south wing but was not attaced to the structure. The First Baptist Church of Crowville was constructed in 1968 and was attached to the south wing. SServing as pastor at the present is Brother Robert E. McDonald.