The First Baptist Church at Georgetown was constituted of twelve members - eight men and four women - in 1810 at the Scott County Court House, which was erected between 1792 and 1796 at a cost of $1600. Elder George Biggs, who led in the organization of the church, was the first pastor and served four years. Elder Theodorick Buleware, was the second pastor, 1814-1818. The church services were held in the court house until 1815, when the first "meeting house" was built according to the following account which appeared in "The Telegraph" of Georgetown, February 9, 1912: "At a meeting of the commissioners in Georgetown for the purpose of carrying into effect the building of a meeting house in said town, upon examining the amount of subscription papers, find that upwards of $1,000.00 is already subscribed. All good citizens who feel interested in the accom¬plishment of this laudable undertaking are called on for their assistance." This house was completed in 1815 according to the above effort, and was a brick structure, located in the northwest part of town near the Big Spring Branch.During the pastorate of Elder W. C. Buck, 1827-29, the first Sunday school was organized. While Dr. George C. Sedwick was pastor, a new house of worship was erected on the corner of College and South Hampton Streets, and dedicated, June 23, 1842. This building had a high steeple, and one large room, which served for preaching and Sunday school. The old meeting house left vacant was occupied by the colored Baptists. Dr. Duncan R. Campbell was pastor from 1846 to 1850, and was elected President of Georgetown College in 1852 and served until 1856. Dr. James L. Reynolds was elected President of Georgetown College in 1849, and continued until 1851, when he was pastor of the Georgetown Church, 1850-1853. Dr. J. M. Frost, Sr., was pastor, 1852-1853; Elder A. W. LaRue, 1853-1857, and Elder Thomas J. Stevenson, who became pastor at twenty-one years of age, and served through the Civil War period, 1859-1865.
Following the war, Dr. Henry McDonald was pastor, 1869-1877; and Dr. R. M. Dudley, 1877-1879, and President of Georgetown College, 1872-1892. Under the leadership of Dr. Z. T. Cody, who was pastor, 1887-1901, the present church building was erected at a cost of $20,000, and the first service was held in a large Sunday school room, January 22, 1892. Dr. E. B. Pollard followed Dr. Cody, and the next pastor was Dr. F. W. Eberhardt, who was succeeded by Dr. W. W. Stout. In 1905, a home was built for the pastor at a cost of $5,000; and in 1909-10, the church building was remodeled, and enlarged, including the adding of Sunday school rooms. Rev. Arthur House Stainback was pastor in 1945, and was succeeded by Dr. E. L. Skiles in 1946, who is the present pastor (1949). The church at Georgetown reported to the Elkhorn Association in 1948, 1298 members, 1153 enrolled in Sunday school and $11,894.00 contributed to missions, education and benevolent objects.12
Note Historical material supplied by Dr. E. L. Skiles, Pastor.
[From A History of Baptists in Kentucky, 1953, pp. 105-106. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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