First Baptist Church
Dalton
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The Baptists here first worshipped in a community chapel, or
town hall, which
was used by all denominations, and for other meetings as well. This building was
about where the Presbyterian church now stands.
The First Baptist Church was organized in November, 1847, with
seven charter
members. At that time Dalton was in Murray county; the history of the First
Baptist Church antedates by a little the history of Whitfield county. The first
pastor of the church was Reverend G. W. Selvidge. His name is perpetuated in the
name of the street which extends from the Baptist church northward to
Chattanooga avenue.
In 1851-52, a two-story wooden building was erected on the site now
occupied
by the present building. The upper story was for the church services, the lower
story was used as a school and displaced the old school house that stood in the
park nearby. The deed to the Baptist property recites a consideration of
twenty-five dollars. White street, the short street between the park and the
church, was named for Mr. Edward White, a very public spirited citizen and a
Baptist.
It was in this old First church that Judge Edward Harden made his
famous
speech to the first contingent of the Dalton Guards on the eve of their
departure to give their services in the cause of the Confederacy. This was in
July, 1861. Before the conclusion of the great conflict, this church had
contributed thirty soldiers to the armies of the South. The church building was
used as a hospital during the days following the battle of Chickamauga.
The present building was erected in 1873-4. This was accomplished
mainly by
the zeal and enterprise and devotion of the late Mr. J. A. Blanton. W. B. Farrar
and W. T. McCarty were other helpful leaders. The bell was presented by
Archibald Fitzgerald and is said to be made of unusually fine material. After
the war was over, the bell was returned to its place, and is still used to call
the Baptists of Dalton to worship.
The old communion service of the church was presented to the church
by
General Duff Green, who was a staunch Baptist. When Sherman's army came through
Dalton it was taken to Union Springs, Alabama, for safe keeping by Mr. and Mrs.
Henry Davis who had
refugeed to that place. They were charter members of the church.
The parsonage was built in 1891.
The South Dalton church was a mission of the First Baptist church
for a
number of years, and at its organization into a church it received about forty
members from the First church.
Pastors who have served the First Baptist Church of Dalton include
the
following: G. W. Selvidge, A. E. Vandiver, George F. Cooper, A. S. Morrell, J.
M. Stansberry, J. M. Grambell, J. A. R. Hanks, G. A. Loftin, N. A. Bailey, W. C.
Wilkes, F. M. Daniel, H. T. Hanks, W. C. Luther, W,. C. McCall, W. N. Jones,
Waylan Johnson, A. H. Mitchell, T. M. Galloway, B. F. Hunt, W. H. Cooper, E. M,
Dyer,
S. A. Goodwin, H. P. Fitch, 0. C. Peyton, M. N. McCall, 0. L. Martin, P. A.
Gatlin, George P. White, J. S. McLemore, 0. D. Fleming, Josiah Crudup, A. B.
Couch, Gower Latimer, and J. L. Clegg.
Source: History of Whitfield County GA, 1936
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