Grace Episcopal Church

Grace Church was established in 1831, meeting first in the Presbyterian Church and in the Christian County Court House. In the 1840’s a small frame building near the present church was erected. The present church building at the corner of Sixth (then Court) and Liberty Streets was completed in 1884. The Emma Gaither Parish House was added in 1906.
Abbitt Hall, built in the 1930s as a rectory behind the church building, was later converted to a classroom building and served in that capacity until torn down in 1985.
During the period of 1978-84, buildings and land nearby were acquired, including a large unsightly automobile body shop across from the church, and several buildings on Fifth and Sixth Streets. Completed in late 1984, All Saints’ Hall houses a large parish hail and classrooms for church school and the kindergarten which Grace Church has operated for thirty years. The Rectors of Grace Church, George P. Giddinge, 183 1-41; F. B. Nash, 1842-44; George Beckett, 1844-54; Louis 0. Jansen, 1854-56; Judson M. Curtis, 1856-58; Samuel Hennann, 1859-60; W. E. Webb, 1860-64; James I Page, 1865-67; Gideon B. Perry, 1867-72; R. M. Baker, 1873-79; Charles Morris, 1879-81; John W. Venable, 1883-95; Robert S. Caner, 1895-1901; George C. Abbitt, 1902-29; B. Wood Gaither, 1930-3 1; Charles E. Craik, Jr., 193 1-37; William S. Hill, 1938-44; George A. P. JeweIl, 1944-47; Irwin Hulbert, Jr., 1950-59; E. Stewart Wood, 1959-61; Richard H. Humke, 1961-68; Marshall T. Ware, 1969-71; J. Roland Johnston, 1972-77; and I Raymond Lord, 1978-86.

Family Histories of Christian County 1797-1986
Reprinted with permission ©1986 Christian County Genealogical Society
©William Turner  ©Jim Killibrew

Gracey West Union Baptist Church
    Gracey West Union Baptist Church was organized in November 1819.  The officiating Presbytery consisted of Elders John Mallory, Dudley Williams, and David Haggard.  Services were held in a log building located nine miles west of Hopkinsville on the Old Eddyville Road.  In 1830 a "commodius brick church, stately, and somewhat imposing for that day" was erected at the village of Bellview, a prosperous village with two stores, two doctors, a blacksmith shop and other enterprises.  Old records reveal that "the lot for the church at Bellview was deeded by S. S. Lander to Trustees Thomas Torian and J. H. Lander."  In 1925 Charles M. Meacham wrote: "My personal recollections begin with the period immediately following the war between the States.  I remember the old church with its two front doors and a low partition through its middle, separating the sexes.  The male members, and even the gallants of the day, would escort the ladies to the ladies door, bow them in and then go to the men's door to enter the church, and sit on their own side of the house. The southside--next to the dusty road--was assigned to the men and the ladies sat over-looking the green field just over the fence that enclosed the church lot."
    There was a door in the rear which led to a balcony over the pulpit; this door enabled the preacher to reach the pulpit without coming down the aisle.  On the side to the right of the high pulpit was the "Amen Corner" where the prominent brethren sat.  Across the front of the church was a long pew known as the "Mourners" bench; and it usually would be crowded when the invitation was given.
    For some time the building was also used as a schoolhouse.  As the years came and went the old house began to "suffer for repair"; and, rather than do these vital repairs, the congregation decided to "move the church and build a new one" on the present location.  The new building was erected in 1873 on land donated by Ben Short.  Originally the building was of frame construction, but later brick veneer was added.
    During these days the Good Templar' Lodge used the structure for their meeting place.  The record says: "On Sunday afternoon, July 12, 1874, the lodge was in session when a hard rain fell and broke the great drought of that year.  It had not rained since the 5th of May".
    In those days the pulpit was in the north end of the church and the door in the south.  It is recalled that they reversed the arrangement to keep the congregation from being disturbed when there was passing of trains along the railroad built later in front of the door.
    A great revival was held in 1878 by a young preacher by the name of J. W. Porter, and at the close of this meeting 62 converts were "baptized in H. H. Bryant's pond, including Mr. Bryant himself."
    In 1944, an addition including a basement was added to provide additional Sunday School rooms and a pastor's study.
    On the church property to the north of the church a parsonage was built in 1956.

Pastors down through the years are as follows:

Goshen Baptist Church
Van Swearingen Teague, along with his family came into the north end of Christian County, Kentucky in the late 1700’s.
A land grant in Christian County Court records dated 1797, Collier’s History on Kentucky, states that Petersburgh was the eleventh town in existence. The Teague family is believed to have been the founders of Petersburgh. An early record states the Williams family migrated along with the Wells and Pyles family in 1807. Samuel Williams married (1810) to Elizabeth Teague, daughter of William and Mary Metcalfe Teague, granddaughter of Van S. Teague.
Samuel Williams and his wife, Elizabeth, gave a meeting house grant off of the land where they lived (Date: 1813). This church was to be named “The Goshen Baptist Church”. The early settlers were of the Primitive Baptist faith. Some time later, they began to bury their dead in the church yard. Petersburgh Cemetery is believed to be one of the older cemeteries in Christian County, Kentucky. There are many unmarked graves, and many sandstones have been removed over the years.
The older Baptist were getting older and dying. The younger generation was convened to a new faith.
Very little is known about this church, except I do know that my ancestors and the early settlers worshipped there.

Family Histories of Christian County 1797-1986
Reprinted with permission ©1986 Christian County Genealogical Society
©William Turner  ©Jim Killibrew