Cherry Grove Baptist Church

Front: Former members of Swift Ceek Baptist Church (3 mi. W) founded this church in 1869, later adopting the name “Cherry Grove.” They obtained this site in 1878 to build their first permanent church, and land 1½ mi. NW for a cemetery in 1889. The church was originally part of the Gethsemane Baptist Association, Upper Division, and later joined the Pee Dee Baptist Association. Reverse: For many years, Cherry Grove Baptist Church supported a public school for African Americans. In 1920-21, the Julius Rosenwald Fund helped build a 4-teacher school to the church’s west, one of 14 Rosenwald schools to be built in Darlington Co. It was part of Swift Creek School District (No. 8) and eventually served grades 1-7. Cherry Grove School closed in 1956 and no longer stands.