Does anyone know the location of "Jones Hill Primitive Baptist Church"? It was moved (somewhere around 1877) and its name changed to Smith Grove Primitive Baptist Church. I have been reserching Jason and Tabitha Jones who were in the 1850 through 1880 census of Stanly County. I descend from their son Wiley Jones who served in the CSA and moved to Iredell County after that war. If you have any information on the questions above, please let me know. Thanks so much for your help.

-- Barbara Moore (bmoore@perigee.net), June 11, 2000

Answers

The following info is from the Stanly Co. NC Heritage Book, Vol. I. Page 24 article 75: Jones Hill Primitive Baptist Church organized 20 May 1871, was located on Highway 740 in Oakboro. The Whitley Cemetery on 10th St. in Oakboro was used for burials. The last service there was held 17 July 1926. Members moved and built a new clapboard church and called it Smith Grove.

The following is from the same Stanly Co. Heritage Book, page 992 about the Jason & Tabitha Jones family. On the 21st of November 1870, Jason Jones and his wife, Tabitha, conveyed to the trustees of the Primitive Baptist Denomination a two and one-half acre tract of land being "on the waters of Still Water Creek." This deed was not registered until April 24, 1878, when it was proved by the subscribing witness S.C. Little. Through research of land records and a review of the later church records of Jones Hill Primitive Baptist Church, I have concluded that Jones Hill Primitive Baptist Church was located on the site Jason Jones deeded to the church. The trustees of Jones Hill Primitive Baptist Church sold the land in 1923 to A.C. Heath and J.R. Teeter and on the 21st day of January 1926 issued a quitclaim for the same property. Jones Hill Primitive Baptist Church relocated and changed the name to Smith's Grove Primitive Baptist Church.

-- Richard Crotwell (tenring@enia.net), September 22, 2004.