WELCOME TO MT. HERMON BAPTIST CHURCH

Belief in the Bible

Mt. Hermon Baptist Church was organized in 1812 by members of the very rural community of south and western Spotsylvania as well as members from along its borders of Orange and Louisa Counties. The church grew largely in the early years by the efforts of John Ashum Billingsly, the earliest known pastor of Mt. Hermon. Miss Polly Twyman, whose father George Twyman was the first clerk of the church, donated 2 acres of land to erect the first sanctuary on a site just to the east of the where the current church stands. This structure was later moved to Green Level Farm just a couple miles to the west and was used as the Green Level Boys Academy. However, that building is no longer standing. The present day sanctuary was constructed in the 1840s. It is the oldest house of worship in the Goshen Association surviving little change from its original appearance. The church was built in the time of slavery. Whites and blacks worshiped together but in different parts of the church. Whites entered through the south entrance, while servants entered through the west door and sat in the rear pews or ascended the steps to the rear balcony area. The slaves that attended Mt. Hermon went on to start their own churches after the Civil War. During the war confederate and union troops camped around the church. In June of 1864 following his defeat at Trevillian’s Station in nearby Louisa county, Union General Phillip Sheridan had some of his cavalrymen camp in the fields around the church and around Twyman’s store which sat at the intersection close to the church. Local lore recalled that raiding parties were sent to nearby homes and farms, and that the church was used as a hospital for the wounded. Years after the wars end, church members recalled cleaning blood stains from the sanctuary’s wood floors. The same floors that are there today, as well as most of the rest of the woodwork in the church. During the 1880s and 90s the church was used as a school house for area children. Times when the church was without a pastor, students from the University of Richmond or from the seminaries would preach. The church would also have joint bible schools with neighboring churches such as Elk Creek, Kirk O’Cliff, Cavalry, and Trinity. The most recent part of the church, the fellowship and educational building was finished in 1998. If the churches walls could talk I’m sure it would have quite a story to tell. Thanks to the pastors and members, past and present, for making this church such a great place to worship.