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Antioch Piney Swamp Project records, Special Collection Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.
Research files and oral history collection about the history of the Antioch Baptist Church in Gloucester, Virginia. Oral histories will be accessioned at the item level.
Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Curator of Manuscripts and Rare Books, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
Nathaniel Crowell is a descendent of founding members of Antioch Baptist Church and current resident of New York City, NY. Crowell explains his relation to Piney Swamp community member, Florida Patterson, through his paternal grandmother's family, and relays information about her immediate family's lives in Piney Swamp. He relays information such as various family members' and community individuals' occupations, anecdotes about their day-to-day lives, and how many families eventually relocated to states such as New York and Pennsylvania.
Transferred to Jay Gaidmore, Director of Special Collections Research Center, via Microsoft OneDrive.
Sam Carter-Shamai is a resident of Toronto and descendant of founding members of Antioch Baptist Church in Gloucester, VA. In this oral history, he recalls the lives of his family in Gloucester County before moving to Toronto. He describes his parents' and grandparents' struggles during the era of Jim Crow while living in the area, as well as his grandather's involvement as a local chair of a branch of the NAACP. He goes on to relay details regarding the foundation of Antioch Baptist Church, such as it being the result of a schism from the members of the nearby First Baptist Church. Additionally, he describes the conditions which led to his family relocating to Canada.
Transferred to Jay Gaidmore, Director of Special Collections Research Center, via Microsoft OneDrive.
Edith Townes, and her son, Marquis Townes, recount their family history with the Historic Antioch Church & Cemetery in Gloucester County. They resided between Baltimore, Maryland, and Virginia over the course of their lives, and speak about their upbringings, the relationship between First Baptist and Antioch, local history, and church events.
Transferred to Jay Gaidmore via Microsoft OneDrive.
Lenora Davis recounts the history of her family's involvement with the Historic Antioch Church & Cemetery in Gloucester County with the assistance of David Davis. Her great-grandfather John Allen helped establish the church, and her family has been involved in its' operation ever since. She also speaks about her life growing up in Maryland and Virginia, touching on topics such a desegregation, urban vs rural living, and religious ceremonies.
Transferred to Jay Gaidmore via Microsoft OneDrive.
Cynthia Foster speaks about growing up and living in Gloucester County, as well as her personal and familial relationship with The Historic Antioch Church & Cemetery. She recounts her father's experience as a preacher; a roll that she served later on.
Transferred to Jay Gaidmore via Microsoft OneDrive.
Medina Marble is a member of the Baptist ministry and community member of Antioch Baptist Church in Gloucester, VA. Marble describes her early life growing up in Clifton Forge and the role of Christianity in her upbringing. She describes her profession as a teacher at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind in Hampton, VA and her later calling to become involved in the Baptist ministry in the 1980s. Marble goes on to describe her involvement with the community once she arrived in Gloucester and the importance Antioch Baptist Church had on her life. She describes the changing size and involvement of the congregation through periods of her life and major historical events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transferred to Jay Gaidmore, Director of Special Collections Research Center, via Microsoft OneDrive.
Transferred to Jay Gaidmore via Microsoft OneDrive.
Marsha Green Spencer speaks about her childhood and her relationship with the Historic Antioch Church & Cemetery in Gloucester County. She names local residents that she met growing up, discusses an encounter her father had with the Ku Klux Klan, and describes the school life of her parents under segregation.
Timothy Smith is a resident of Gloucester County and member of the Antioch Baptist Church congregation. In this oral history, he recalls his family history and childhood growing up in the Piney Swamp area of Gloucester County, VA in the 1960s and 1970s. He goes on to describe aspects of Antioch Baptist Church's history, including events such as the wiring of the church for electricity in the 1970s and the tornado that struck the church in 2000. He also describes other developments in the church, such as renovations, the installation of air conditioning, and bell/steeple replacements. He explains that many of the stories he had heard regarding the church's building history were from former deacon, Donald Grimes.
Transferred via Microsoft OneDrive to Jay Gaidmore, Director of Special Collections Research Center.