The above history is taken from notes provided by Miss Ida Lancaster, a long time member of the church and resident of Shady Dale who died in 1960.
“Providence Baptist Church was constituted on December 15, 1810. It was organized and worked as a Primitive Baptist Church for about twenty five years. The following week in conference it was decided to build a log meeting house on lot number eleven, fifteenth district in Randolph County, which was changed to Jasper County a short time afterwards. The Meeting house was to be of logs forty feet long. Sixty feet wide and twelve feet high. It was located close to what is now known at Leverett’s Quarter, two miles south of Machen. In 1829 the church in conference appointed a committee to pick out a site for a new meeting house and on September 24 1831, the new church building was dedicated. This building stood until 1906 when it was replaced by the present building. Most of the foundation timbers as well as the framing of this church were taken from the old building.
There were several Revolutionary Soldiers that were members of Providence. These include, Timothy Landrum, Jacob Mercer and David Montgomery. Brother Jacob Mercer is buried in the cemetery and has a rock wall around it and a Revolutionary Soldier’s Marker. In 1888 and 1889 the Macon and Northern Railroad was built through Shady Dale running from Macon northward to Athens. The track was laid between the school and the church and it seems that the trains always pass just in the midst of the morning service. The railroad has been a blessing to Jasper County and the Shady Dale – Machen community. About 1892 the Middle Georgia and Atlantic was surveyed to come through Shady Dale, the road bed was graded across the fields to the rear of the church and until this day the signs of the fill and cut can be seen crossing the colored cemetery. An injunction was gotten after some sort of controversy and the two railroads crossed about one half mile south of the church. Both of these lines were later merged into the Central of Georgia.”
The story of Providence Baptist is also the story of the community of Shady Dale. Shady Dale is one of those lovely East Georgia villages and well worth a visit. It lies nine miles northeast of Monticello in Jasper County. Shady Dale was originally a Creek Indian village long before the English first arrived. Later it became a local trading post and is the only other incorporated city in Jasper County. In early 1899, the Seven Islands Road passed only a few miles to the north and west of Shady Dale. This was a very important land route from Augusta to New Orleans and brought in many traders and travelers to the town. Later a railroad from Augusta to Milledgeville to Covington and on to Atlanta passed through Shady Dale. Being in the middle of this rail line made it a very popular tourist and trading site.
The Providence cemetery is very interesting and contains many interments of early settlers in this part of Georgia. There are veterans of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War as you will see from the photos below. There is also the grave of Green Nathaniel George Washington Boone, who was Daniel Boone’s great great grandson. Be sure to click and scroll the photos below for additional information.
When you enter the sanctuary of Providence Baptist, you will notice that although modernized, the sanctuary maintains a sophisticated simplicity.
The view from the pulpit looking back towards the congregational pews shows off the sophisticated simplicity of this sanctuary, illuminated by colorful stained glass windows that allow a beautiful shade of light to pour into the church.
One of the most magnificent features of Providence Baptist is the collection of stained glass windows that were installed in the 1970s. This particular window was added to the sanctuary from the generous donations of congregants and was dedicated to the Jesus Christ.
This is one of the windows in the collection of memorial stained glass windows that were donated by members of the congregations in honor of their passed loved one, Lola Brown Lewis.
This view looking across the graveyard at Providence Baptist shows not only the large amount of burials that have happened here, but also, the different types and styles of gravemarkers that have evolved over the generations.
Grave of Green Nathaniel George Washington Boone who died in 1881 at the age of 15. Boone was the Great Grandson of Daniel Boone. His father was Nathanial W. Boone and his mother, Harriet J. Knowles according to the cemetery records.
Harriet B. Spearman was born February 14, 1839 and died July 16, 1914. She was married to William Spearman (1836-1917) on February 28, 1858. He was a carpenter. They had eight children. She was the daughter of William Leverett and Sarah P. Wade Leverett.
Pvt. Jacob Mercer was born April 12, 1753 in Currituck County, North Carolina and died August 6, 1837. He served in Heard’s Company, Dooley’s Regiment, Revolutionary War. According to Findagrave website, Jacob Mercer was the son of James Mercer and Jacob was a half-brother of Silas Mercer. Silas Mercer was the father of Jesse Mercer for whom Mercer University is named.
John Bogan died July 9, 1870. His obituary in the Christian Index, July 28, 1870 reported he died at the age of 86, he was a deacon at Providence Baptist Church and was a member there for 68 years. He was married to Rebecca Farrow and they had eight children.
Joseph S. Shaw was born August 11, 1844 and died March 9, 1903. He married Angeline Newton (1849-1891) in 1874. He served in Company C, 6th State Troops, CSA. Angeline’s father, Lt. Col. James Mitchell Newton lived in Indian Springs. He was killed in the Civil War at Sharpsburg, Maryland in 1862.
Lieut. Aristarchus Newton was born February 8, 1833 and died November 1, 1898. He was the son of Aristarchus Newton, Sr. (1794-1875), who was born in Greene County, Georgia and Mary Finch Mitchell Newton who was born in 1800 in Virginia. Aristarchus, Sr. represented Jasper County in the Secession Convention in 1861, served in the War of 1812, and owned 30 slaves in 1860.
Rhoda A. Green was born August 24, 1799 and died July 4, 1860. William M. Green was born in Wilkes County on August 15, 1809 and died March 18, 1886. He married Rhoda Culberson April 20, 1834. The 1860 slave schedule shows he owned 11 slaves.
This historic image of Providence Baptist shows a group of women posing in front of the church and likely dates to the 1940s or 50s.
ORGANIZED
1810
LOCATED IN
Jasper
DENOMINATION
Baptist
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That’s a fine looking church !
This is a lovely old church which is, thankfully, mostly intact. However, the comparison of the current exterior with the old photo does make one wish the vinyl siding salesman had never stopped by.
I understand that my 4great-grandfather was the original pastor. Can you confirm this? Thanks. (What time are your Sunday services?)