Little Bethel Baptist Church to Share Its 150-Year History at Baldwin County Historical Society Meeting

DAPHNE, Ala. — The Baldwin County Historical Society will hold its fall quarterly meeting on Sunday, Oct. 18, inside one of Daphne’s oldest places of worship, where members of Little Bethel Baptist Church will share the story of a congregation whose roots stretch back more than 150 years.

The meeting begins at 1 p.m. at the church, 1902 Main St. in Daphne. Active members of the congregation will present the program on the church and its history. The meeting is free and open to the public.

The start time is one hour earlier than the society usually meets, a change made to accommodate the church’s schedule. Registration will take place on arrival, before the program begins.

A church founded on land given to freedmen

Little Bethel Baptist Church traces its history to at least 1867. That year, Major Lewis Starke donated land to four of his former slaves and their heirs, according to the society’s announcement. The gift came just two years after the end of the Civil War, during the early years of Reconstruction, when newly freed African Americans across the South were organizing churches of their own.

Those congregations often became the center of community life. In the years after emancipation, Black churches across Alabama and the South commonly served not only as houses of worship but also as meeting places, schools and gathering spots for families building new lives in freedom. Land ownership, like the gift at the heart of Little Bethel’s founding, was rare and valuable for formerly enslaved people at the time.

The congregation’s current wooden church building dates to 1920. In April 2017, the church celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding.

The church’s past is also recorded in the Little Bethel Baptist Church cemetery, located behind the building. Church cemeteries are often among the most valuable records of a community’s history, preserving the names and dates of generations of members and families.

A chance to hear history from the congregation

The Oct. 18 program gives members and visitors a chance to learn about the church directly from the people who worship there, rather than from a book or a display. Hearing a congregation describe its own history often brings out family stories, traditions and details that are not found in written records.

The setting itself is part of the lesson. Visitors will gather in the 1920 sanctuary of a congregation that has worshiped in Daphne for well over a century and a half, through enormous change in the community around it.

The building itself has now stood for more than a century. Wooden church buildings of that age require steady care, and the fact that the 1920 sanctuary remains in use speaks to the commitment of the generations of members who have maintained it.

Why congregation histories matter

For historians, churches like Little Bethel hold some of the most important records of local Black history in the decades after the Civil War. Official documents from the period, such as census pages and county land records, often say little about the daily lives of freedpeople and their families. Church records, cemetery markers and the memories handed down within a congregation help fill in those gaps, recording baptisms, marriages, burials, leaders and the founding families who built the community.

That is one reason historical groups often invite congregations to tell their own stories. A land gift like the one described in Little Bethel’s history, a cemetery that has been in use for generations and a building that has stood since 1920 together form a record of a community that has endured for more than 150 years.

Daphne’s deep roots on the Eastern Shore

Little Bethel’s story is part of the longer history of Daphne, one of the oldest communities on Mobile Bay’s Eastern Shore. Daphne served as the Baldwin County seat from 1868 until 1901, when the county government moved to Bay Minette, so the church’s founding came during the years when Daphne was the center of county government.

Today Daphne is one of Baldwin County’s largest cities, and much of its growth has come in recent decades. Places like Little Bethel offer a link to the generations of residents who lived along the bay long before the suburban development that defines much of the city today.

About the Baldwin County Historical Society

The Baldwin County Historical Society holds quarterly meetings that explore people, places and events from the county’s past, often at historic sites around the county. All of the society’s meetings are open to the public and free to attend, making them an easy way for longtime residents and newcomers alike to learn more about the county’s history.

The society also reminded members that annual membership dues of $10 per person are due for renewal in October.

If you go

• What: Baldwin County Historical Society fall quarterly meeting, featuring a program on the history of Little Bethel Baptist Church presented by members of the congregation.
• When: 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. Note the earlier-than-usual start time.
• Where: Little Bethel Baptist Church, 1902 Main St., Daphne.
• Parking: Available at the church or at nearby Lott Park.
• Cost: Free and open to the public. Registration takes place on arrival.
• Membership: Annual dues are $10 per person and are renewable in October.

Visitors should plan to arrive a few minutes early to register before the program begins. Because the meeting is held in an active church, guests are asked to be mindful that they are visiting a place of worship and a historic cemetery.