SECONA BAPTIST CHURCH (CAUCASIAN SECTION) (1789) CEMETERY, Pickens County, SC
a.k.a. >

Version: 3.0   Effective: 31-Jul-2006   Text File: P136.TXT   Image Folder: P136


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REPRODUCING NOTICE:
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recording contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact 
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Paul M Kankula - nn8nn
(visit above website)  
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Anderson: http://www.rootsweb.com/~scandrsn/
Oconee: http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/oconee.html
Pickens: http://www.rootsweb.com/~scpicke2/


DATAFILE INPUT . : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in Jul-2006

GPS MAPPING .... : Gary Flynn at (visit above website) in -2006

HISTORY ........ : ____________ at ____________ in _______ 

IMAGES ......... : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in -2006

RECORDING ...... : ____________ at ____________ in _______ 

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CEMETERY LOCATION:
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>

GPS = Latitude N x Longitude W 


CEMETERY HISTORY:
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SECONA BAPTIST CHURCH

This church was used 1857 -1969, remodeled in 1938. Secona Baptist Church, which 
stands on Secona Road in the town of Pickens, gets its name from the Soconey 
Indians, who lived along the Twelve Mile River as one of the Lower Towns of the 
Cherokee Nation. When the church was organized in 1789, the State still had a 
militia guard on the frontier to protect the settlers from the inroads of the 
Indians and to protect the Indians from being molested by "designing and evil 
disposed persons."

The first pastor of Secona Baptist Church was William Murphree, who came from 
Chatham County, N.C. In 1791, the church had 15 members. There was a meeting 
house at least by 1811, but its site cannot be pinpointed. The church was moved 
to its present location in 1857. Secona Baptist Church was an important part of 
Pickens when the town was started in 1869. The church cemetery was the town 
graveyard.

Secona members were baptized in the Twelve Mile River until 1897 when a pool was
built. The oldest member to be baptized was John E. Watson, age 97, in 1941.

A third church was built in 1889 and enlarged in 1938. A parsonage was 
constructed in 1957, and a fellowship hall, in 1963. The present church was 
built in 1969. Secona has 416 members in 1995.

First service July 27 - Dedication Aug 3, 1969 The full story of the church and 
the community is told in A History of Secona Baptist Church and the Pickens Area 

by: Jean Martin Flynn.

The 137-page hardback book is available from the Church for $20 plus $2 for 
mailing. Send orders to Secona Baptist Church, 234 Secona Road, Pickens, SC 
29671

By: Pickens County SC Heritage Book 1995

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The Church was established in 1789 and the slaves were buried in a cemetery next 
to the White cemetery.  The cemetery is on the hill just above the White section 
and beside the present church.  A lot of improvement has been done in the 
cemetery since the year 2002. 


TOMBSTONE TRANSCRIPTION NOTES:
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a. = age at death
b. = date-of-birth
d. = date-of-death
h. = husband
m. = married
p. = parents
w. = wife