Virginia Department of Historic Resources
(dhr.virginia.gov)
For Immediate Release
July 31, 2024

Contact:
Ivy Tan
Department of Historic Resources
Marketing & Communications Manager
ivy.tan@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6445

Virginia Dedicates Historical Marker for Middlesex County’s Oldest Surviving Black Church

—The marker recalls the history of Antioch Baptist Church, which was founded shortly after the end of the Civil War by African American members of the White-led Baptist church in Saluda—

—Text of marker reproduced below—

PLEASE NOTE: DHR creates markers not to “honor” their subjects but rather to educate and inform the public about a person, place, or event of regional, state, or national importance. In this regard, erected markers are not memorials.

RICHMOND – A state historical marker issued by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) was dedicated this past weekend for Antioch Baptist Church, the oldest extant Black church in Middlesex County founded by African Americans in the 19th century.

The dedication ceremony for the marker was held Saturday, August 3, at noon, at Antioch Baptist Church, located at 159 Oakes Landing Road in historic Saluda (23149). After the ceremony’s conclusion, the marker was unveiled at its location in front of the Middlesex County Historic Courthouse, which is located on 865 General Puller Highway in Saluda. The event was free and open to the public.

The Rev. Fred D. Holmes, Jr., pastor of Antioch Baptist Church, presided over the dedication ceremony. The Rev. Woodland L. Holmes, pastor of First Baptist Church of Harmony Village, led the invocation. Bessida Cauthorne White, Chair of the Marker Dedication Planning Committee and a board member of the Middlesex County Museum, delivered greetings and led the pouring of libation. The following guests also spoke at the ceremony: Middlesex County Board of Supervisors Chair Don R. Harris; Middlesex County Museum & Historical Society, Inc. President Marilyn South; the Rev. Dr. Leonard L. Edloe, a retired pharmacist and the founding pastor of New Hope Fellowship in Hartfield; and DHR Community Outreach Coordinator LaToya Gray-Sparks. The ceremony featured musical performances by the Southside Rappahannock Baptist Association Choir and singer Mary Ann Holmes, a triple great granddaughter of William Corr, who was one of Antioch Baptist Church’s founding trustees.

Antioch Baptist Church is the oldest existing Black church in Middlesex County. The church was established in 1866 by African American members of the Clark’s Neck (later Saluda) Baptist Church, a White-led church in Saluda. In 1867 members of Antioch Baptist Church acquired an acre of land and added two more acres to the church in 1881. Antioch became one of four founding churches of the Southside Rappahannock Baptist Association and hosted its first meeting in 1877. The church serves as the resting place for Civil War soldiers. The Antioch School, an early public school for Black students, was located next to the church. The Revs. R. E. Berkley and C. R. Towles, two Antioch pastors, founded the Baptist-run Rappahannock Industrial Academy in 1902. Buildings at the academy were named for them. Antioch Baptist Church is also the progenitor of four churches.

The Virginia Board of Historic Resources, which is authorized to designate new state historical markers, approved the manufacture and installation of the Antioch Baptist Church marker in June 2022. The marker’s co-sponsors, Antioch Baptist Church and the Middlesex County Museum & Historical Society, Inc., covered its manufacturing costs.

Virginia’s historical highway marker program began in 1927 with installation of the first markers along U.S. Route 1. It is considered the oldest such program in the nation. Currently there are more than 2,600 state markers, mostly maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation, except in those localities outside of VDOT’s authority.

Full Text of Marker:

Antioch Baptist Church

Antioch Baptist Church, the oldest black church in Middlesex County, was formed in 1866 by black members of white-led Clark’s Neck (later Saluda) Baptist Church. They acquired an acre of land just north of here in 1867 and added two more acres in 1881. Civil War soldiers are buried there. Antioch was one of four founding churches of the Southside Rappahannock Baptist Association and hosted its first meeting in 1877. An early black public school, Antioch School, was adjacent to the church. Two Antioch pastors, the Revs. R. E. Berkley and C. R. Towles, were founders of Baptist-run Rappahannock Industrial Academy in 1902; buildings there were named for them. Four churches came out of Antioch.

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