Bear Creek Baptist Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bear Creek Baptist Church
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | N of Kirksville off US 63, near Kirksville, Missouri |
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| Area | 1.4 acres (0.57 ha) |
| Built | 1860 |
| NRHP reference No. | 84002132 |
| Added to NRHP | March 29, 1984 |
The Bear Creek Baptist Church was a very old church building in Adair County, Missouri. It was located about four miles northwest of Kirksville. The church was built in 1860. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. This means it was recognized as an important historical site. The original church building is no longer standing today. However, the land where the church and its cemetery once stood is still cared for. A group called the Bear Creek Cemetery Association of Adair County owns and maintains this special historical spot.
Contents
A Look Back: Bear Creek Baptist Church
Early Beginnings
The Bear Creek Baptist group was the very first organized Christian community in Adair County. This group started way back in the late 1830s. Before this, people would just meet in small groups at each other's homes. Reverend Talbot Hight helped organize this church group. This happened around late 1838 or early 1839.
At first, the group did not have money or land for a proper church building. So, for many years, they held their services in private homes. Reverend Lewis Connor was their pastor during these early times.
Building the Church
Reverend Connor passed away in 1856. He was buried on a piece of his own land. This land was set aside for the Bear Creek group to use as a church and cemetery. The exact year the church building was finished is not known for sure. But most people believe it was built around 1860.
However, the American Civil War caused many problems. Because of the war, the church building was not fully finished until 1865.
A Changing Community
The church continued to grow throughout the late 1800s. But in the early 1900s, fewer and fewer people attended. The last regular church services were held on February 7, 1914.
Even though regular services stopped, the church's history was not forgotten. In October 1946, a group from the First Baptist Church of Kirksville placed a large rock with a special plaque at the site. This plaque honored the Bear Creek Baptist Church as the first church in Adair County.
The cemetery next to the church continued to be used for many years. The last known burials there happened in 1979. Many important local people are buried in the Bear Creek cemetery. One of them is Samuel Withrow, who was the first postmaster in Adair County. He was buried there in 1852.
Caring for History
In May 1982, a special non-profit group was formed. This group is called the Bear Creek Cemetery Association of Adair County. Their main goal was to take care of the property and the old church building. One of their first big projects was to get the site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This happened in 1984.
The Bear Creek Church also had a very close call with a powerful tornado in 2009. On May 13 of that year, a strong tornado passed very close to the church. This tornado caused a lot of damage and sadly, two people in Adair County lost their lives about one mile from the church. Luckily, the historic church building survived this powerful storm.
