Members of the congregation gather for the first time in the new bus garage, which can also be used as a dining or recreation area.

First Baptist Church of Hurricane commemorated the long history of the church’s one hundred and sixty-four years of existence last Sunday, September 29, during their Heritage Sunday celebration. The festivities were held in the church’s new bus garage, making this the first event to be held there. The garage, which can also be used to house gatherings or other special events, was built entirely by volunteer labor. Construction began in August of 2023, and was completed only one day before Heritage Sunday.

During church services that morning, the congregation was given a trivia quiz with questions about the church’s history. Some of the facts included the original name of the church (Hurricane Bridge Baptist Church), the year that the church was first established (1860), and the number of people in the original congregation (24). The winner of the quiz was awarded with a gift card to McDonalds.

Heritage Sunday was first established in 2016, replacing the church’s annual picnic.

The First Baptist Church is one of the oldest churches in this area. In the early 1800’s, there was a small settlement near the current Hurricane Bridge Park on Midland Trail which boasted a multi-purpose log building that used as a schoolhouse, community center, and church sanctuary for both Baptists and Methodists. In May of 1860, the Hurricane Bridge Baptist Church was established, but it and much of the settlement was destroyed during the 1863 Civil War Battle of Hurricane Bridge. In 1871, the congregation began meeting in a log building which was located on the southeastern corner of the modern day church’s parking lot. Over the years, the First Baptist Church has undergone many changes as various remodeling and expansion projects have dramatically changed the appearance of the church.