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Farming For A Better Future, page 426
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First Missionary Baptist Church
The Reverend Alfred Peters was the first pastor that led the 21 members of this congregation in 1866. The members worshipped in various homes and buildings until 1919, when Dr. Sterrs, S.S. Sykes, and G.F. Oliver came together to secure a loan of $1,460 to purchase property from St. Ann's Catholic Church.
Together, the community built one of the oldest churches in Decatur. This church was designed by prominent African American architect, Wallace Augustus (W.A.) Rayfield, well known for his work on the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Built in 1921 at a cost of $1,250, the church is located at the southern corner of Grove and Vine streets in old Decatur. The church is still in use today.
(Below) First Missionary Baptist Church (Facebook.com, First Missionary Baptist
Church Decatur, @FMBDecatur)
(Above) 1888 USGS Topographic Map, Huntsville
Quadrangle (Right) 1888 Plat Map of Flint (Morgan
County Archives, Decatur, Alabama)
Flint
Known now as Flint City and named for the flint stone in the area, the community of Flint is located a few miles south of Decatur. Flint is shown on an 1888 USGS topographic map, one of the few communities in Morgan County at that time. - (4954)