Hopewell Baptist
Jasper County | Organized in 1847
Hopewell Baptist Church in Jasper County has deep roots stretching back to the mid-19th century. Tax records suggest the church was built before 1850, but its story formally begins on April 16, 1847, when Samuel Blackwell and several neighbors organized the congregation. Blackwell had migrated from North Carolina in 1820, established a plantation south of the present church, and became a prominent civic leader, serving as sheriff and in the state legislature. He was a deacon at Hopewell for over 50 years and is buried in the church cemetery. Seven of his eight sons served in the 32nd Georgia Infantry during the Civil War.
Read more...At first, Hopewell shared a small meetinghouse with a nearby Presbyterian congregation. On April 18, 1847, after a sermon by Rev. Carter and others, the new Baptist church adopted its constitution and rules of decorum. These rules demanded punctual attendance, reverence during meetings, and orderly debate. Enforcement could be strict, and disputes occasionally arose—most notably when Dr. Shaw’s excuse for missing a conference was rejected, prompting him to move his membership to Shiloh.
The minutes also record important milestones. In October 1847, Hosiah, enslaved by Samuel Blackwell, became the church’s first Black member. By 1849, separate Sunday afternoon services were held for Black congregants. In the 1850s, members began planting mission churches such as Bethel, Liberty, and Kelly. During the Civil War, minutes often note members “excused from Conference to satisfy Military Commitment,” reflecting the number of men away in service.
Like many rural congregations, Hopewell experienced ups and downs but endured through the decades. Today, services are still held on the third Sunday of each month under the leadership of the pastor of Monticello First Baptist. Yet the church itself has fallen on hard times. Abandoned for years, the building now faces serious threats from roof and foundation damage. Without immediate attention, this 175-year-old landmark may soon be lost.
Hopewell’s history—rooted in the Blackwell family, the struggles of the Civil War, and the resilience of its members—is too important to let fade away. We can only hope for local support to help stabilize and preserve this irreplaceable piece of Georgia’s heritage.
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24 responses to “Hopewell Baptist”
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My family is planning a cemetery clean-up day if anyone is interested. We don’t have any date ideas yet. Thank you!
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This church is very haunted , even though it’s gone now the land is still very haunted and we always hear things
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My mother (Ann Blackwell Ballard Gay) has taken care of the landscaping there for the past 40+ years & still pays for the grass to be cut every 2 weeks (during the growing months.) She would like to find a way to move the church sign closer to the cemetery area.
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Oh that is so kind of her to care for this place!
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Has there been any offers to donate time to restoration of the church? I would like to help spread the word as I encounter a good amount of contractors in the work I do and I am also a Jasper County resident. I have been to this church in the last couple of weeks and would be very sorry if it was no longer there for others to enjoy. I can only offer headstone cleaning services but I feel this is also an important part of honoring and maintaining remembrance of the church, the families that may no longer be around to care for their loved one’s memorial, and to ensure the inscriptions are maintained to keep the inscriptions as legible as possible.
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This is kind of you to offer, Heather. We can’t coordinate volunteer opportunities, but you might start by reaching out to descendants of those buried here. You will need to start with permission from a family member of the person buried in order to clean the gravestones. Please stay in touch if you’re able to volunteer here, we would love to hear about it!
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Hi there Heather. My name is Lindsey and this is my family’s cemetery. Samuel Hunt Blackwell who helped start the church was my GGGG-Grandfather and is buried on the property. I visit there for the second time this past weekend with my 91 year old grandmother who is Samuel’s GG-Granddaughter. Most of our family lives around Laurens County now which is an hour and a half away (south) and I live in Buford, which is also an hour and a half away (north). After visiting this weekend, my grandmother said, “Sure wish we could get help to help clean up these graves”. So, we would ABSOLUTELY love any help we could get to help clean the headstones so they are readable. You have our permission!
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This is great news! Heather is a passionate cemetery advocate!
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The church was disassembled and moved to a different location to be rebuilt. I live 1/4 mile away and pass by every day.
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My mother believes it was going to be rebuilt in Madison. Greg Wyatt who deals in antiques moved the church & re-planted grass where the church was located. I have some recent pictures that I can provide.
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I went by there yesterday for the first time in three years and I thought “where is the church?” It would be great to see it rebuilt. My mother played piano there when they had afternoon services nd Dean Crocker from Monticello Baptist preached. I went to several revival services there rein years past. I have some relatives buried in the cemetery there.
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I went by there yesterday, and noticed that one of the tarps had blown up, probably from high winds. I have to assume someone is looking after it unlike Liberty Methodist which was taken over by the Methodist Church which did nothing to attempt to preserve it. I have some relatives buried in the cemetery there.
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I have seen you comment about Liberty before and I disagree with what you are saying. I am a United Methodist minister and have worked most my ministry to preserve historic congregations and buildings. However, the Conference cannot preserve every church that closes; we do not have the resources to do this. We must focus what we have on sustaining existing congregations, fostering missions, and helping those in need. As a propent of preserving our heritage, I mourn the lost of Liberty. I have been to the site and it hurt my heart to see what happened. But, I don’t believe it is fair to blame the Conference
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Liberty was the church I grew up in, was baptized in, and the first church I ever joined. I went there until it closed. The United Methodist Church took possession per the trust clause. At that time none of the members, all 14 of us, no longer owned it. Seeing it collapse was very painful, and only memories remain. All other members have died, and I am the last one still living. I am a life long Methodist and hope to be one until I die.
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I’m trying to find out who owns the church currently?
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I would appreciate knowing the source of the biographical information included on those buried here. Mary Iantoni Huff is my great, great grandmother. I would love to have documentation of the information listed about her. Thank you.
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I have a photo of this church and part of the cemetery. I photographed it in June 1988. I would be happy to provide you with a print of it if you would like it.
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Thanks Jim. Can you send it to info@hrcga.org as an attachment?
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Samuel Hunt Blackwell was my GGG-Grandfather.
Roy Hunter< rghunter3@juno.com-
Interesting. I like this website and this church in particular as i have family buried there.
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Samuel Hunt Blackwell is my GGGG-Grandfather, his son (by Samuel’s second marriage to Martha Elizabeth Malone Blackwell) Henry Franklin Blackwell is my GGG-Grandfather. Went by the church & cemetery today on my way home from visiting my grandmother (Marjorie Lindsey) in Dudley. First time I have ever been there and it was so incredibly beautiful even in it’s current dilapidated condition.
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Is any responsible for the ownership of Hopewell Church? My ancestors are buried there. I would love to know if any activities are in the works to help restore the church.
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Cathy, we sent you an email with the local contact.
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Who is the local contact? Thank you!
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