Every church we feature at HRC is special in its own way. All are historic, and many are quite old. Some are visually striking, others architecturally unique, and many have been the backdrop for significant events in local, state, or national history. Others hold importance for their role in denominational or social history, or for their distinctive building materials, ornamentation, or setting.

Then there are the rare few that are all of these things and more. Penfield Baptist is one of those. Its striking Greek Revival building sits with quiet dignity on the hill where it was first built, virtually unchanged from the day it was completed by David Demorest in 1845–46. Originally constructed to serve as Mercer University’s chapel, the building reflects the prominence Mercer once held as one of Georgia’s leading centers of learning and a seat of the Baptist movement. 

The GBC vision was that Mercer Institute, later Mercer University, would serve as an elite educational institution to train candidates for the Baptist clergy, as well as a higher education alternative for the children of the planter class who were sending their children north to schools such as Princeton and Harvard.  In 1860, Penfield was well on the way to fulfilling the GBC vision, but the Civil War would change all that.  In 1871 the Trustees elected to move Mercer University to Macon and the chapel became Penfield Baptist.

For a time, Penfield Baptist prospered but, by the 1970s, the congregation could no longer afford the upkeep, and the chapel was returned to Mercer. The building fell into jeopardy until a growing appreciation for historic preservation in the late 20th century spurred its restoration. Fully restored to its original condition, the chapel was returned to Penfield Baptist, where it remains in use today.

The Penfield Cemetery, located a short distance away, contains the remains of many prominent white settlers of Greene County, including that of the Reverend Jesse Mercer, who was buried there in 1841.  Adjacent to the white Penfield Cemetery is a recently rediscovered AFRICAN AMERICAN CEMETERY  with many unmarked graves. The cemetery has been inactive since a brick wall was constructed in the 1940s and blocked access.  There are approximately 100 marked graves in the cemetery, but a recent GPR mapping project led by Mercer, Emory, and Georgia State University has revealed over 1,200 unmarked graves on the four-acre site.  The research is ongoing. You can read more about the work being done to bring the African-American section of the Penfield Cemetery here.

Today, Penfield and the surrounding acres are virtually deserted - a ghost town with little to suggest the many historical events that our nation endured.  However, the magnificent church that was established with such high Baptist aspirations still occupies the high ground on the ruins of the town square.  Penfield Baptist is indeed one of Georgia’s most historic rural churches.

Click THE BUTTON ON THE RIGHT to see church minutes from 1839 - 1871, as transcribed by Virginia Bolton, HRC Research Director