Macedonia Baptist Church

Front: Organized in 1869 with the support of Edgefield Village Baptist Church, this first African American church in Edgefield was founded by former slaves, including Peter Johnson, George Simkins, Lawrence Cain, Henry Cane, Robert A. Green, Paris Simkins, and Willis Frazier. The first church was built by Rev. Joe Burkett in 1871. The current church dates to 1901 and was built by Sewell Smith. Reverse: Edgefield’s first school for newly freed slaves was established in 1866 by Lawrence Cain. In 1870, Macedonia Church conveyed ¾ of an acre N of here to Cain and other trustees for a new school for African Americans. By 1911, Edgefield Academy was located at that site. In 1925-26, the Academy moved across the road to a campus built with support from the Julius Rosenwald Fund.