Emmaus Baptist Church

Emmaus Baptist Church (c. 1990)

Emmaus Baptist Church (2015)

Site Name: Emmaus Baptist Church

Date of Construction: 1849-1852

Reason for Construction: The Second Great Awakening caused a huge increase in membership, and the old church building was too small to accommodate everyone who wished to worship there. 

Site History: The Emmaus Congregation was actually formed in Charles City Country in 1776, and was moved to New Kent County in 1817. Initially after the move they worshipped in a small wooden building, but soon an influx of new members created the need for a bigger church, and they erected the new brick, Greek Revival style church. This change from small, simple buildings to more permanent and ornate ones was part of a larger trend in America after the Civil War. Because church minutes from 1842 to 1855 are lost, the exact construction timeline is difficult to pin down, but a marble tablet in the church and a newsletter from the Virginia Baptist General Association indicate that building was indeed finished in 1852. In the years leading up to the Civil War many African Americans worshipped there, mostly slaves whose masters were members, but afterwards most of these black members broke away to form their own Second Life Church. Emmaus’ congregation still exists today, and the site has been in constant use since its construction, with several pieces added on over the past decades to accommodate its growth.

Area History: New Kent County was established in 1654 by William Claiborne, a British settler, after Maryland won a dispute over rights to his previous residence and trading post at Kent Island. Hanover County was originally included in New Kent, but broke away in 1719. King and Queen, as well as King William, also both drew land from New Kent when they were formed. For around 300 years after its creation New Kent remained small. Census records beginning in 1790 show that from then until 1970, the population remained in a range of 4000 to 6500 residents, but in 1980 the population jumped by 66%, and the county has been growing since then. 

What about the site has changed? The interior of the church has changed only slightly since it was built. In the 1960s new carpeting was installed, but the original wood floors still remain. Electric lights and fans were also installed at that time, and the ceiling plaster was replaced. Twenty years later, the pews were upholstered, but as with the floors, the original wooden ones still remain. Other additions to the site include a multi-purpose church building that was built partially in 1963 and added onto in the 70s. 

What about the surrounding area has changed? Emmaus is in many ways representative of New Kent County as a whole; the entire area is peppered with historic sites, many of which are still functioning today. Among these are George Watkins Elementary School, St. Peters Church (where George and Martha Washington are believed to have been married), and Cedar Grove (the plantation where Letitia Christian Tyler, wife of John Tyler, is buried). Communities have popped up alongside these historic sites and today there are areas dominated by small farms and more historic homes right beside recently built, modern neighborhoods. Overall, there’s been a shift away from the small, close-knit agricultural county to a larger and more diverse one as more people have moved to New Kent and the area has become more developed.

Reflection: In our research on Emmaus, we found a lot of information away from the topics that this class normally focuses on. We got to learn more about religion in America, particularly the Second Great Awakening. In addition, our main source (the National Register of Historic Places) had lots of discussion of architecture and how those trends are reflected in the church. It was also interesting to do some research into New Kent and learn more about its history.

Sources:
"Final Nomination of Emmaus Baptist Church into the National Register of Historical
Places." May 5, 1993. Accessed March 18, 2015. http://www.dhr.virginia. gov/registers/Counties/New_Kent/0630011_Emmaus_Baptist_Church_1993_Final_Nomination.pdf.

Trout, Stan L. "New Kent County Virginia History." New Kent County. Accessed March
18, 2015. http://www.newkent.net/history.html.

U.S Census Bureau, Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and
2000, Doc., at 57 (2001). Accessed March 18, 2015. http://www.census.gov /population/ www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf.

Authors:  Sasha Bronder and Jonah Sweeney