Jefferson Davis Birthplace Hosts Celebration And Church Bicentennial
By Gregory L Wade · Originally published September 2016 · p. 22
In July 1885, a group of Baptist’s from a nearby church established in 1816 decided that Fairview, Kentucky would be a good place to move from their present site to this farming community a few miles away. Fairview, located just about ten miles south of Hopkinsville, also happened to be the birthplace of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. As it turned out, core church members bought the actual property where the house that Davis was born once stood and built what is known today as Bethel Baptist Church. This June 4th and 5th, on the 208th birthday of Davis, as well as the 200th birthday of the original church, a reunion was held at the Fairview location which adjoins the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site. During the weekend, Confederate and Federal reenactors camped on the historic ground, part of the Kentucky State Park system and set up living history camps for visitors who came from all around central Kentucky and Tennessee. Ron Sydnor, manager of the park, says the event has been held the last several years as part of an “educational process to help people understand Jefferson Davis, his life and contributions.” A 351-foot obelisk commemorating Davis’s birth rises just yards away from the church and can be seen for miles around in rolling bluegrass and farm country now largely occupied by Amish and Mennonite families. The monument, built during 1917 through 1924, is made of Kentucky limestone and has an elevator to its crown. Unfortunately, a passing storm during the weekend knocked out the electronics and weekend participants visiting the state park could not go to the top.
Matthew Joiner and Terry Joiner, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church. When Bethel Baptist was dedicated at this new location in November of 1886, Davis attended and made a short speech. In his remarks, he noted he was “thankful that I can give you this lot upon which to worship the triune God.” A marble slab in the church vestibule is a reminder of the president’s visit.
in late 1889 Davis donated a silver communion service to the church. In 1900 the church was struck by lightning and severely damaged. Believing the communion service was destroyed by fire, Davis’s widow, Varina, donated another set. The original service was found undamaged, and the church keeps both in a safe deposit box. During the weekend, the communion services were on display, under the careful eye of local law enforcement. While there was no known combat action at Fairview, reenactors demonstrated drill, camp life and how a skirmish might have been fought for the spectators gathered on the park grounds. A wreath lay-
Ron Sydnor, manager. Jefferson Davis State Historic Site.
ing ceremony remembering Davis was held in front of the obelisk. After Sunday’s church service, several reenactors joined church members for their reunion lunch. “With the military camp, the church’s birthday celebration along with Davis’ birthday, this has been a unique weekend experience,” said Confederate reenactor Tim Phillips of White House, Tennessee. Many attendees found the horse-drawn buggies of the local Amish and Mennonites an added feature bringing back memories of life in the 1800’s.
During the reunion service, it was noted by Pastor Terry Joiner that the church, located next to such an iconic historical site as the Jefferson Davis Monument, had itself “endured through good times and bad.” Recalling the years after the Civil War, the 1900 fire and the ups and downs of the community, “we were a church before we moved here and have lasted two hundred years and we believe there will be a reunion in another two hundred years,” Joiner added.