First Baptist Church of Little River

The First Baptist Church of Little River History

The early history of the church came from William T.J. Hartrick (1835-1922.) He tells how the Little River Church came into being after the Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church on Hartrick's Bluff Road, which was formed in 1886 disband in the 1894, the church building was moved to Little River Switch in the spring of 1895. The building was fitted with false sills or shoes on each corner. Strung in front of the building, a wooden track provided a surface on which to move the church, it was necessary to take up the sections of track after the building had passed over it and place them in front of the building to be used again. Movement was provided by a group of tapered logs or pins about four feet in length placed on the track and under the shoes of the building. The direction in which the church moved was controlled by laying the pins at angles to the building and keeping then in place by striking them with a large wooden maul.

Power was supplied by a windlass operated by horsepower. The windlass was moved out in front of the church the full length of the tow rope, about two hundred feet, and secured by stakes to the ground. The horse was hitched to a long pole which turned the windless, drawing the building over the rollers and along the track. It was necessary to clear a wide path through the pasture belonging to Mrs. T.H. Hartrick. It took about one month or 30 days to move the building to the present site of our new building. The building was located on this site during the early spring and summer in 1895. The land was donated by Mr. W.T.J. Hartrick Sr. This building served at this location until 1972 when the present building was built.

The first name of the church, after being moved to Little River, was the Little River Missionary Baptist Church. It is not clear when the name changed, but in the records from Bell Baptist Association the Annual Session held at Little River Baptist Church on August 27-28, 1924 there was no mention of "Missionary" in the name. The church minutes states in 1944 the word "First" was added to the name. The building was one room but some time later two rooms were added to the East side and two to the West side for Sunday School Rooms. In 1952 an educational building was built on to the back of north side, of the original church.

The church has had three parsonages. The first one was located in the old Buchanan Park and it was moved to the church grounds in 1949. It was located on the West side of the church building. The second parsonage was built in the same location and completed in 1956. The third parsonage was purchased in 1986 in the Chimney Hill addition 2.5 miles north of Little River on old HWY 95

The present Educational Building to the North of the church was build in 1963. The present church building was built by the church members with the exception of the slab, scissor trusses and air-conditioning.

Stain glass windows were installed in the side windows in 1995. The summer 1996 eleven new class rooms, pastor's study and church office were added to the North side of the educational building with the Baptist Men of Texas and the church members doing the construction.