Prosperity Free Will Baptist Church (Turner Co.) Collection

Collection

Identifier: GB-CH-275

Scope and Contents

The Prosperity Free Will Baptist Church Records contain photocopies of the original records made by Sandra Stratford in the 1980s. The original records were in the possession of descendants of the last clerk of the church at that time, but at the time of donation (April 2025) Stratford did not remember the name of the owner or know if said owner was still living. The records cover most of the existence of the church, from 1905 until 1944. The remaining folders contain Stratford’s research about the church and indexing work on the records.

Dates

Creation: 1905 - 2025

Conditions Governing Access

Unrestricted access. All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.

Conditions Governing Use

To quote in print, or otherwise reproduce in whole or in part in any publication, including on the World Wide Web, any material from this collection, the researcher must obtain permission from (1) the owner of the physical property and (2) the holder of the copyright. Persons wishing to quote from this collection should consult the reference archivist to determine copyright holders for information in this collection. Reproduction of any item must contain the complete citation to the original.

Biographical / Historical

Prosperity Free Will Baptist Church was established outside Ashburn, Georgia, in 1905 and closed its doors in the mid-1940s. The church was well-known because of the murder of Deacon J. M. Lawson by R. G. Whidden on the church grounds in August 1911.