Mt. Hebron Baptist Church has a long and rich history - a history that is based on Baptist principles first enumerated in the U.S. in the state of Rhode Island in 1639. These principles centered on the doctrine of religious freedom which guaranteed the ability and right to worship freely without the threat of persecution. Our Christian faith, however, is derived from and grounded in our steadfast and fundamental belief in a living God. We affirm our faith through our Church Covenant and through our daily living practices.
The history, which we recount here, was ascertained from historical references, public records, burial documents, and interviews with a number of people with memories of the past relevant to Mt. Hebron. We note that one of our earliest churches was destroyed by fire in the mid-1940s which resulted in the loss of records and documents from its founding up to that time.
The date that Mt. Hebron Baptist Church was established is unknown. However, we witnessed significant growth both in terms of membership and assets. The current Mt. Hebron Baptist Church is xx-members strong and features a complex comprised of the church sanctuary, a multi-purpose building, family life center, burial ground, and a 150-space paved parking lot.
The first official record that pertains to the purchase of land for Mt. Hebron Baptist Church dates to 1910. Recognizing the overwhelming need for worship and education facilities for a growing population of residents in the Franconia Road area of Aliceville, the Watts family (Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Watts, Sr. and Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Watts, Jr.) sold and deeded one acre of land to the deacons of Mt. Hebron Baptist Church to be used for a church on November 11, 1910. In March 1943, the Watts family (Aaron, Watts, Jr., and Mary Etta Watts) conveyed an additional two acres for establishment of "Mt. Hebron Public School, colored, for the State of Alabama..." The grounds of the church were further expanded in the late 1950s/early 1960s to include 1.3 acres for a new cemetery to be located in close proximity to the church proper. The total current land base is 4.3 acres. Our 1912 cornerstone marks the first permanent structure for Mt. Hebron. Due to the loss of church records in the 1940s, it is not known with certainty where the congregation worshipped prior to 1912. However, a few surviving church members have indicated that the first Mt. Hebron Baptist Church congregation worshipped on property and in temporary facilities across the road from the present location.??
The Mt. Hebron Baptist Church was first organized and supported by a congregation consisting of the following founding families, including: Fred and Luella Hood Archibald, Mr. and Mrs. Tass Bailey, Jackson and Ida Long Barnes, Jordan and Ozie Hinton Barnes, West and Lillie Barnes, George and Ella Billups, Webster and Myrtle Bochillion, Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Bonner, Mr. and Mrs. W. Bonner, A.B. and Annette Snell Corder, Rufus and Rosetta Somerville Corder, Mrs. Lucille Glass, Will and Mattie Hood Gibson, Vandervelt and Martha Turnipseed Hamilton, Alex and Stella Harold, Willie and Mary Hinton, Floyd and Winnie Windham Hopkins, Mr. Jim Hill, Robert and Velma Jemison, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Long, Willie (Dock) and Fannie Oliver, Jim and Ella McCaa, Johnnie and Ida Love McCaa, Temp and Trudy Salmon McKinstry, Washington and Alice Spain, Bee and Liza Turnipseed, Glee and Ida Turnipseed, Jim and Martha Turnipseed, Mix and Alma Bradford Turnipseed, Richard and Anne Somerville, Dave and Lenora Sommerville, Sephus and Lula Sommerville, Aaron Watts, Sr. and Julia Watts, Aaron Watts, Jr. and Mary Etta Watts, Mrs. Sallie Williams. This listing understandably will never be fully complete due to a number of factors including the lapse of time, however, every effort will be made to make it more reflective and representative of the early congregation as additional information and documentation becomes available. We are truly indebted to the first families of Mt. Hebron Baptist Church and owe them all our abiding and unyielding gratitude.
Sunday or "Sabbath" Schools as they were called were intended to advance or promote Christian education and ensure knowledge of the Bible by church members. In the past, many rural churches only had the services of a minister once a month, so in order to continue the teachings of the Bible, Sunday School became an important part of this process. Sunday School superintendents were spiritual people who, in many instances, particularly in later years were also ministers, often serving as Associate Pastors of the church. Records show Sunday School attendance at an estimated xx members in the 1940s; around 100 participants in the 1960s; and 100+ today. At Mt. Hebron, the following people are known to have served as Sunday School superintendents: Bros. Webster Bouchillion, Jackson Barnes, Jordan Barnes, James McMullen, Johnny James McMullen, Alphonsia Sommerville and Larry Hall.
Church schools were built, invariably, after one or two church members or members of the community came together and decided that a school was needed. Because there were so many Church schools, we can only surmise that the congregations and their leaders felt a heavy responsibility, and indeed an overriding obligation, to educate their children. Church schools, as well as churches themselves utilized skilled craftsmen from within the community (e.g., carpenters, brick masons, etc.) to build the schools and staffed them with trained teachers who lived in the community as well. Because early church records were destroyed, we were unable to set the exact date for the opening of the Mt. Hebron School, however, a few surviving church members recall attending school here in the 1920s and the 1930s.
The (second) 2-room Mt. Hebron School was built to educate primary school age children (grades 1 through 6) in the Franconia Road (Old Carrollton Road) area of Aliceville and vicinity. This second school opened in 1943 and closed in the late 1950s (1958) as black children in the county began to attend R.J. Kirksey Elementary School. Emory Chapel, Franconia, New Canaan, Cluster, Mt. Hebron, and Macedonia are some of the local churches that built and supported elementary schools for minority children.
The following people were teachers (at one time in their careers) at Mt. Hebron School: Mrs. E. Watts, Mrs. Sally Lockett, Mrs. Laura Prude, and Mrs. Eloise Barnes Jones who taught the 1st through 3rd grades. Mrs. Elizabeth Jackson was school principal from 1943 through its closing in 1958. In addition to serving as principal, Mrs. Jackson also taught students in 4th through 6th grades. Teacher salaries first were paid by the church and church missions, then later by the State of Alabama. Families of the students were responsible for purchasing their books and other needed school supplies.
The Mt. Hebron School was of wood construction; warmed with a wood-burning heater; and serviced by an outdoor toilet. Many of the children who attended the Mt. Hebron School lived within walking distance of the school; but some came from as far as Highway 17 (Aliceville-Carrollton Road), some five miles distant. The school, which was torn down/removed in the late 1980s, stood in the location of the present day Multi-purpose building.
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