First Baptist Church of Gaston

Front: This church was constituted in 1824 as Sandy Run Baptist Church. Its charter members included eleven men and ten women who organized under the leadership of William Pauling, Jesse Hartwell, and others. They named the church after nearby Sandy Run Creek. Tradition holds that in 1834 the congregation moved to an area called Oakey Springs, which is near the present location, and built a wood frame church. Reverse: In the churchyard are marked graves dating to as early as the 1860s. A third church also of frame construction was built in the 1880s. The town of Gaston was formally incorporated in 1894. The fourth house of worship was a brick building completed in 1939. The congregation had around 350 members at that time. The church voted to change its name to First Baptist Church of Gaston in 1955. The fifth and current sanctuary dates to 1985.