By Cynthia Burleson
Roan Mountain Baptist Church is located on Cane Creek Road, 2 1/2 miles above Bakersville, and is the oldest church of any denomination in Mitchell County. The Church was founded by our forefathers to share the message that has stood the test of time. This message is that of Jesus Christ, who came into the world and willingly gave His life as a ransom for all who would accept His free gift of salvation by grace.
There is little known about European Settlers coming to this area. In the early 1700’s this area of the mountains was considered by Indians as a “no-man’s land”, because of the harsh winters. Cherokee Indians lived to the west and Catawba Indians lived to the east. Both tribes made frequent forages to the mountains to hunt for game and mine for mica, silver and gold. Early explorers and pioneers that passed through saw the area as rich in minerals and also a good livestock region. Trading with the Indians brought more settlers to the area. The first European people that came to the region were of Scotch-Irish and German descent, which came here to be independent and own land. The pioneer families staked out their homesteads and settled into a rugged life. Although wildlife was abundant, survival in the wilderness was no easy task. Working the land was extremely difficult on the steep rocky hills of what was then Burke County.
The census of 1790 lists about 80 families that were living in the area of the Toe River Valley. The total population along the slopes of the Blue Ridge was more than 300 persons. These early settlers soon learned that they were strengthened by each other. This neighborly bond created among them as they helped each other in building homes, planting and caring for crops. Also there was protection from Indian raids and wild beasts to be considered.
Religion was important to these early settlers, and they would meet together to study the word of GOD. Churches were organized by traveling evangelists. And in the early days traveling evangelist often did not have any formal education, but they were devout in their faith, and talked in meetings and lead in prayer. These evangelists were men of upstanding moral character, from hardworking, respected families. They mostly educated themselves by reading out of the family bible, but a young man with a desire for an education would read all he could find. The church members had little or nothing to support a pastor, he would normally receive things such as garden produce, animal hide or beeswax.
Elder Stephen Morgan was one of the first to travel to the mountains of Western North Carolina. He was the first child of Elder Perminter and Grace Morgan, born March 4, 1776 his father was also a pioneer evangelist organizing churches below the Blue Ridge Mountains. Elder Morgan was well respected and it is understood that he traveled extensively around the mountains starting new fellowships. Early residents looked forward to Elder Morgan’s services and would leave their homes on Saturday to make the trip to Roan Mountain Church, a distance of more than 20 miles for some people in order to attend services on Sunday. Services were not regular, many times they would be held only once in two months.
Roan Mountain Baptist Church is the oldest church of any denomination in Mitchell County. The most accurate records are of course in James Oliver Young’s book, A Baptist Looks Back. In this book Rev Young states that Elder Stephen Morgan’s son, Perminter Morgan was one of the most respected and influential ministers of that time. Folks were known to leave their homes on Saturday and travel by wagon or horseback to the community where Roan Mountain Church was located to attend service conducted by Elder Stephen Morgan on Sunday. They would come from across the Roan Mountain, Hawk Mountain and Grassy Creek.
The oldest actual record is a copy of the 1815 minutes from the French Broad Baptist Association meeting that are preserved on microfilm in the Baptist Collection, showing Roan Mountain Baptist Church as a member of this association. And other studies show that Roan Mountain was organized circa 1813.
The first known meeting house was located at the entrance of Young’s Cove Road.
It was a rectangular log building with a dirt floor, and a sand pile in the middle where a fire could be built. A hole was in the center of the roof so the smoke and of course a lot of the heat would escape.
The annual meetings of the French Broad Association met in this building for 1832-1842.
Representatives came from Baptist churches west of the Blue Ridge extending from Buncombe County northeast to what is now Watauga County. After the American Civil War the membership had grown from 21 in 1830 to 121 in 1867. Rev. Stephen Collis was pastor at this time.
In 1872 a new building was constructed near the site of the present building.
This building was a rectangular shape with a chimney and fireplace in one end. Around 1890 the chimney was removed and a porch entrance and belfry were built in its place.
This building served the members until 1910.
Third Building (1911-1953)
In 1910 members decided to construct the third building which was occupied in 1911. Roan Mountain Church continued to grow and in 1943 the third building was remodeled and enlarged, but as the church continued to grow members soon realized that this was not an adequate building. In 1950 the planning committee presented plans to build a new church building.
Two members of the church, Wesley Buchanan and Zeb Singleton did the work on this building which was occupied in 1911. It was a frame building in the shape of a cross, and it was heated by two large wood burning stoves, connected to a chimney in the center of the building. During the 1920’s the wood burning stoves were replaced by coal burning stoves and oil lamps were replaced by electric lights. Separate classrooms were created by hanging burlap curtains.
Today’s Church
The current building enjoyed today was designed by an architect of the J.E. Greene Company in Johnson City, Tennessee.
In 1969 the Sanctuary was remodeled and updated. And in 1988 addition of a fellowship hall, pastor’s study and several classrooms were completed.
Most recently the Church Sanctuary was remodeled and new carpeting put down. New tile was installed in the foyer, and carpeting in the downstairs area.