Old Lexington Baptist Church, Leesville (Lexington Association), will celebrate “200 Years of Serving God” in a special worship service on March 17.
The church sprang up from the camp meetings held in the area during the late 1700s and early 1800s. The church’s history notes that “whole families would come in their wagons, bringing their milk cows with them, and stay the entire camp meeting period of three weeks or more.”
The church was organized in 1813 and was first named Saluda Baptist Church because of its proximity to the river of the same name. A log building was used by worshipers for about 30 years.
When Lexington County was established in 1852, a larger woodframe church house was built, and the church was renamed Lexington Baptist Church and, later, Old Lexington Baptist Church.
A large forest fire swept through the area a few years later, but the church building was spared. In 1907, the church building was lifted off its foundation, rotated to face west and then renovated. In 1945, metal siding was installed; later, Sunday school rooms were attached to the building.
In 1953, groundbreaking services were held for a brick worship house that is still in use today.
Old Lexington Baptist Church is the oldest church in Lexington Association.
Old Lexington Baptist Church today (above left), and the woodframe building that served the congregation for more than a century.