Persimmon Grove Baptist Church History
 

Information come from American Heritage History of the United States Vol. 3
by Margaret Hartman and William Rus Stevens
 

On Monday, February 12, 1798 at the house of William Anderson in Newport, James Lee was the first person granted a license to solemnize matrimony in the new Campbell County.  He was a regular member of the Baptist Church.

In July of 1801 "Henry Blagrave having produced testimonials that he is in regular communion with the Baptist Society is therefore licensed to solemnize the rights of Matrimony, he having together with Joseph Dicken and John Roberts his securities acknowledged Bond as the law directs."  It is believed that Henry Blagrave was from Lunenburg County, Virginia but he came to Harrodsburg in Mercer Co. Kentucky, where in 1797 he married Ann Lindsay Sutton, widow of Robert Sutton, who died in 1795, and step-daughter of William Kennedy, all from Charlotte County, Virginia.  By 1799 they are all in Campbell County. This consisted of Ann Blagrave's daughters, Mary Jane, wife of Joseph Dicken; Margaret, wife of Charles Dicken, later in 1803 to be the wife of William Gosney; Ann, wife of John Anderson, and the Kennedys.

By 1802 there is Henry Blagrave's Meeting House as mentioned in an 1818 deed.  However, the first record is in 1804 when Isham Prewit of Mercer County sold for 40 shillings to William Gosney, Deacon to the Brush Creek Society of the Baptist Church and his successors in office, 2 acres of land on Brush Creek adjoining John Clark's and Robert Sutton's surveys.  The 1802 transaction was probably no more than a handshake, a gentleman's agreement, that was regularized in 1804.

By 1820 the Brush Creek Church was forming an association with others.   On April 1820, Brother John Stevens was chosen as moderator and Brother John Caldwell chosen as clerk. The records book of May 20, 1820 has the following entry; "The Church agrees to send to the following Churches viz Licking, Four Mile, Twelve Mile, Bank Lick, Wilmington, Crusis Creek for the same council that they sent us before and one more or as many more as they may think best in ther wisdom to set with us at our next meeting of business to give council in any case we lay before them we agree to send the following members to Wilming town, Brother John H Caldwell to Banklick; Brother Wm Lipscome to Four mile; Brother John Drysdale to Twelve mile; Brother Wm Gosney to Licking; Brother Nicholas Cherry to Cruses Cree; Brother Robert S Dicken to Bare Letters."

June 17, 1820 plans were made for an association. "The Council being formed a Committee the Church laid before the Committee, the proceeding of there meting of April 15, 1820 and according to the Statements of the minits Said be fore us we said they had dun right. Naims of members from sister Churches as help; Licking (Cold Spring)- Joseph Stilwell, David Reise, Uriah Edwards, Robert Ware; Four mile-John Beal, Seth Hinkley, John Stevens, John G Miller, Samuel Belvil, Thomas Beagals; Banklick (Covington)-George Vice, John Edmons, Henry Hurndon, Elijah Vice, Joshua Sanders, Leonard Decorsey; Crusis Creek-Wm Humes, Enoch Morgan, Samuel Pavy; Willmington-John Taylor, John Wicot, Wm Orcutt, Druman Wheelor."

  The Campbell County Baptist Association was organized at the old Brush Creek Baptist Church on September 21, 1827, with only five churches in the Association.  The ordained ministers were Robert Ware, Elam Grizzle, George Vice, William Gosney, John Stephens, George Graden and John Taylor.

John Stevens was the pastor in 1841 and on October 16, 1841, the majority voted to build a new meeting house. On October 23, the majority agreed to build a new meeting house on William Lipscomb's land.

In the year 1853 the members decided to build a house of worship and after careful study and the advice of sister churches.  Persimmon Grove was selected as the new site. While the new church was being erected, worship services were being held in an old log school building nearby.  On May 19, 1854, the first worship service was held in the new church building, with thirty-eight members on the roll. During the same month a three-day dedication was held and Rev. James Vickers gave the dedicatory sermon. The pastor at that time was Rev. Jessie Beagle.

In May of 1870 the name of the church was changed from the Brush Creek Church, to "Persimmon Grove Baptist Church."  The church held title to the old church land until 1949 when it was sold.