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Looking Back: Boiling Fork Baptist ChurchBy Jenny Lou and Jim Brock
(Reprinted from the Cowan Bell, Vol. II, No. 9, page 3. May 1, 1975)
Probably the first church structure in the immediate Cowan area which can be documented was a Baptist Church erected sometime between the early settlement years and 1822.
On the 10th of December in this same year John Cowan sold to the Boiling Fork Baptist Church one acre of ground “including the meeting house now occupied by said Baptist Church.” In January of 1826 a second acre, lying next to the first, was purchased of John Cowan, and the deed reads, “…including the Brick meeting house.” Probably the first structure was built of logs and was replaced sometime before 1826 with a new building. A meeting house constructed of brick at this early date is unusual. It is possible that this was the first brick church in Franklin County
Mr. Bob Sloan remembers family conversations of many years ago stating that Union troops occupied the church and its grounds during the War Between the States. The structure was a Primitive Baptist Church and was located near Boiling Fork Creek on property now owned by Mrs. J. Y. Hinshaw. About 500 yards up the creek from the iron bridge was the place used for baptisms. Once an old foot log provided access to the creek for this purpose. The building no longer stands, but the well used for so many years by this church still stands next to Mrs. Hinshaw’s home.
Perhaps some of you readers can furnish additional information. If you can, let us know. We would like to add your memories to the history of Boiling Fork Baptist Church. Additional Notes and Facts By L. Jarod Pearson Descendants of the Coker family claim that the site of Boiling Fork Baptist Church was originally Coker's mill. There is no record of when Boiling Fork Baptist Church closed and disbanded. There is written record of the church's existence as late as 1891. Cowan First Church of the Nazarene met in the Boiling Fork Baptist Church in 1917. One local resident, Mr. Howard Coulson, believes that the building was demolished sometime in the 1920's. Some local residents claim that Cowan First Baptist Church (founded 1906) is the direct successor to Boiling Fork Baptist. This is entirely possible, but so far we have not found any documentation or indication in church records. One record of Boiling Fork Baptist Church refers to it as Seperate Baptist Church. Seperate Baptists have a somewhat complicated history, so it's difficult to know exactly what type of doctrine or tradition was followed at Boiling Fork Baptist Church.
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