Historical Marker

Black Oak Baptist Church

Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County · Texas
Erected 1984

The church grounds at Black Oak hold two burial grounds side by side. A Hopkins County genealogy guide describes a white cemetery first and a Black cemetery joining it on the south, echoing the community's two schools. The Handbook of Texas counts forty-eight white pupils and thirty Black pupils in 1905, each group in its own public school. The post office opened in 1854 with David H. Campbell as postmaster and closed in 1905, and by 1933 the town counted twenty-four people and one business, though the congregation carried on.

What the plaque says

Black Oak Baptist Church Named for the black oak trees surrounding it, the Black Oak community was settled in the 1850s by recipients of government land grants. By 1854 a post office had been established, and a log building had been constructed for use as a community church and school. In its early years, Black Oak had a gin, hardwood sawmill, and grocery store. In 1856 Elders John J. D. Davis and Daniel Ramsey helped organize a Baptist congregation. The eight charter members-- H. W. Townsend, Stephen Bullock, Canter Irby, Rebecka Jane Byrd, Amanda Ford, F. M. Ford, Penelepe Floyd, and Malindy Bullock-- elected Davis as their first pastor. Throughout its history, Black Oak Baptist Church has been a focal point of the community. Early settlers David and Rebecca Attaway donated one acre of land for use of the church in 1859. Additional land was purchased in 1885 and in 1910. The current sanctuary replaced the original log building in 1909. The Black Oak Cemetery, located adjacent to the church building, long has been associated with this congregation. The oldest marked grave, that of Ava Oliver, is dated 1857. Many descendants of the early day founders of the Black Oak community are active in the Black Oak Baptist Church congregation today. (1984)

Where it stands

32.97230, -95.43151 · Directions

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