This organization, which is more commonly known as the Jersey Baptist church, is the oldest Baptist church west of the Allegheny mountains. It is the oldest church of any kind in Somerset county, and perhaps the oldest in Southwestern Pennsylvania. For many years after its organization, Maryland and Virginia settlers were among its members, while Sandy Creek Glades, Virginia, formed a portion of its parish. The Turkey-Foot church is the parent of all the Baptist churches included in a region hundreds of miles in extent. The following is an exact copy of page seven of the minutes of the Turkey-Foot Baptist church:
“The minutes of the proceedings of the church belonging to Turkey-Foot and Sandy Creek Glades. On Wednesday, the fourteenth day (of August), Anno Domini 1775, the Rev. Mr. Isaac Sutton and John Corhley met this church at the house of Moses Halls in Turkey- Foot, and after a sermon on the occasion they solemnly constituted a church in these places jointly consisting of the following members as subscribed to the succeeding covenant:*
“Robert Colburn, Jacob Rush, David Rush, John Rush, John King, Benjamin Leonard, James Mitchel, Willets Skinner, Niches Hartzell, Mary Rush, Mary Coventon, Mary Rush, Margaret Rush, Lucia Jones, Elizabeth Mountain, Sarah Skinner, Frankey Ketchem, Rebecca King.”
April 5, 1789, William Blain was baptized and received into the church. July 4, 1789, Rebecca Blain was baptized and received into the church. Among other names of members belonging to the church we find the Whittakers, Melicks, Truaxes, Bosleys, Membles, Gordons, Kings, Joneses, Walls, Lobdills, Melotts, Manettas, Pitmans, Monys, Hannas, Tannehills, Woodmencys and Reams.
The first house was built in January, 1788. It was a two- story log structure with gallery, and was used as church, schoolhouse, and, tradition says, at one time as a blockhouse. While attending, many of the early settlers brought their rifles, which stood in a corner until service was concluded. The second house, a frame building, was erected in 1838; the third, also a frame, was finished in 1877, at a cost of twenty- five hundred dollars. At that time Mrs. Jane Brook, widow of John Brook and daughter of Hon. James Hanna, Sr., and her daughter, Mrs. Mary A. Forquer, paid to the building fund over twelve hundred dollars.
In 1862 Rebecca King bequeathed two thousand dollars to the use of the church; and in May, 1881, Mrs. Jane Brook donated one thousand dollars to be kept as a perpetual fund, the annual interest to be applied to paying the minister’s salary.
The first church officers mentioned in the record are Robert Colborn and Isaac Dwire, elders, in 1795; Jacob Rush, appointed deacon, vice Reuben Skinner, in September, 1796; Robert Colborn was ordained elder and Jacob Rush deacon, October 8, 1796. An examination of the church records shows that the following ministers were serving as pastors at the dates given: Present at the organization, 1795, Isaac Sutton, John Corbley. October 19, 1799, Nathaniel Skinner, Jr., was ordained to the ministry by John Corbley and Henry Speers. Succeeding pastors: John Cox, 1817—19; James Fry, 1820—32; William French, 1826; John Thomas, 1832—9; Isaac Wynn, 1839—42; Garrett R. Patton, 1842—5; William Hickman, 1845—7; Cleon Kees, C. Gilbert, Isaac Wynn, 1848; William Hickman, 1849; John A. Pool (ordained), 1849; G. Lanham, 1852—4; John Williams, 1854; William Ellis, 1854—7; J. Williams, 1857; B.F. Brown, 1860; J. Williams, 1861; J.R. Brown, 1866; J.R. Brown, 1868—72; William Barnes, 1872—3; N.B. Scritchfield, 1873—4; J.E. Watters, 1874—7; Wm. P. Fortney; 1877—9; James B. Brown, 1879, present pastor.
Membership in September, 1883, sixty-five.
*The names given are in the same handwriting, and were evidently all written at the same time; though probably not at the time the church was formed. Other names not here given seem to have been added later, without dates to distinguish them from the first given constituent members.
(History of Bedford, Somerset & Fulton Counties, PA; 1884)
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