FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH #8


Established 1851

The original building was constructed prior to the Civil War and consisted of a single-room, frame building.  It was built with help from the rural Baptist congregations and remained unpainted until after the Civil War.


Prior to the initial building the congregation met at the Rutherford County Court House.  Rev. J.M. Webb was the first pastor.  There were twenty-one member installed at the first meeting and during the next ten years there was little growth in membership. After the Civil War, membership began to climb. There were one hundred members on the church roll in 1878.  This growth meant they needed a larger facility. By 1904 there was a new church structure in place with a steeple that rose to a height of 80 feet.  It was the first brick church in Rutherford County.


The current building was started in 1923 as the need for an even larger facility was warranted given the congregation had grown to over 250 members. The structure was a classic-revival style featuring four Ionic columns and a portico. There were thirty-six stained glass windows installed, manufactured in High Point, NC.