Beaverdam Baptist Church Unveils a State Historical Marker
The congregation dates to the 1870s, and the site once held Beaverdam School for African Americans. The marker was unveiled after worship on February 22.
The Woodruff Times reported on February 26, 2026 that Beaverdam Baptist Church has been placed on the South Carolina Historical Registry. Here is our summary.
On Sunday, February 22, members and guests held a short ceremony after the regular worship service, then walked outside for the unveiling of the new state historical marker. Pastor Rev. Dr. O.T. Hill joined Sesquicentennial Chairperson Irene Jackson and church historian Linda Pearson-Goode for the occasion, which Pearson-Goode called "a good day in the life of our church."
The marker tells the congregation's story from the 1870s. A cemetery on the grounds dates to that time, and early members likely worshipped nearby in a brush arbor before the church was formally established. The name comes from Beaverdam Creek, south of the road, where members were baptized well into the 20th century. Congregants took ownership of the property in 1894 and built several houses of worship over the years.
The site was also home to Beaverdam School for African Americans. In 1935 it was a one-room wooden school with about 80 students, part of Laurens County School District No. 10 (Lanford). It closed around 1950, when the county's rural schools were consolidated.
This is our own summary; the full story, by co-editor Vareva Harris, is at The Woodruff Times (link below).