BRIEF HISTORY by Victoria Proctor

First organized in 1810 as the Saw Mill Baptist Church at Gaddy's Mill. In 1831, most of the 18 members were dismissed by letter to join the Bear Swamp Baptist Church, but a remnant remained and within four years, under the pastorate of William B. Allen, the congregation increased to 32 members. In 1849 the church was moved to its present location on the south side of Bear Swamp, and reorganized with nine members as the Piney Grove Baptist Church. Within a few years, the renamed organization constructed a larger building in which whites and enslaved blacks both worshipped.

After the war, some of the freed slaves moved their membership but the names of George Brown and Lewis Scott remained on the congregational roll as long as the two lived.

Piney Grove has the distinction of being the mother of four churchs: Bermuda, Pleasant Hill, Mt. Calvary, and Oak Dale, and was associated in fields with several of them before becoming independent in 1958.
--Source: Stokes, "The History of Dillon County, South Carolina"

For a list of burials at the church cemetery, see Piney Grove Baptist Cemetery Transcriptions

Last modified: 5 Dec 2005.

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