Hopewell Baptist Church Cornerstone

Pictured above is the cornerstone of the Hopewell Baptist Church in southwestern Itawamba County. The church was organized during 1843. The first entry in the church record book reads: “Elders W.C. Thomas and William Stanfield were called to serve as the presbytery to certify that we met with members praying to become a church at the meeting house near Owen Williams’ on the third Sabbath day in April, 1843, and upon examination found them orthodox and of a sufficient number and strength whereupon we proceeded to constitute them into a church.” This first church was a log structure on the Aberdeen and Jacinto public road not far south of the present church structure. During 1850 a new church was built on ten acres acquired from Van Buren merchant and planter, Swepson Taylor. During its pioneering years, many early settlers of this region of Itawamba County attended Hopewell Baptist Church. By the later 1800's the Abney Post Office was located near the church.