Painting of the original Holly Springs Baptist Church in Hermitage, Bradley County, Arkansas.

"There was a School and Church at this [original] location during the early settlement of Hermitage. It was located at the Holly Springs Baptist Cemetery, then moved to where it is now located. Hermitage Baptist Church is one of the oldest churches in Bradley County. We have a great picture [above] of the first church building at our church. The second church building is still part of our church, but used for children programs. We built the new church in 2000." ~~Pat Richard

"The little white house in the background of the painting is where I grew up. I 'grew up' in that church, too." ~~Ann Ragsdale

Current Hermitage Baptist Church building built in 2000

Sign on the 1963 Hermitage Baptist Church building

Names mentioned:
Rev. Bob Meggs, Grady Baker, Lavon Boyette, Jimmie Ferguson, J. L. Hollingsworth, Bobby Norris, Carl Thompson, Luke Thornton and Lee Wheeler

Memorial Stained Glass Windows at Hermitage Baptist Church, in the 1963 building:

Names mentioned:
Jefferson Singer, J. B. Searcy, Robert Pulley, J. J. DuBoise, A. F. Willice, W. C. Harley, J. W. Sims, T. I. Pirtle, W. L. Savage, J. C. Hendrix, T. M. McGee, W. Z. Byars,
A. F. Roberts, J. D. Wardlaw, W. Braswell, C. D. Barton, W. C. Rowe, W. E. Davis, W. J. Morris, J. A. Russell, L. Gustavus, T. L. Graves, B. S. Franklin, W. L. Leach,
T. D. Hill, J. B. Busby, Rolla Nixon, J. Harris, Bobby Meggs, [?] Overton, Ricky Wilson, Jimmy Anderson, Terrell Wallace, Eugene Howie, Bill Elliott, Roy Hilton,
Michael Hulsey, Eddie Douglas, Jr. and Kerry Powell; penciled in, Robert Blann and Randy Cox

Photos by Nora Johnson and information and church access provided by Pat Richard

Church Records and Minutes transcribed and submitted to the web page by Ann Ragsdale