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The Baptist Church

The organization of the Baptist church in Farmington was effected late in the year 1826. The original members were Deacon Samuel Mead and wife, Philip Marlatt and wife, Rev. Moses Clark and wife, and Mrs. S. W. Tibbets. That these were zealous and earnest worshipers is attested by the fact that prior to the organization they had thought it no insuperable hardship to travel in ox-carts a distance of twelve or fourteen miles over the bad roads of that day to attend at the services of Rev. Elkanah Comstock, at Pontiac. After their organization they held their meetings in the old log school-house north of Thomas Johns' residence, or, in warm weather, in the commodious barn of Samuel Mead, where they worshiped under the ministration of Rev. Moses Clark, who, however, was not their settled pastor. He soon after moved to Northville, Wayne county, and the Rev. Nehemiah Lamb was regularly installed over the Farmington church, remaining with them until the year 1842.

As they grew in numbers they seemed to require a more convenient and permanent place for holding their meetings, and by strong and persistent effort in that direction, they were enabled, during the year 1835, to build and dedicate a frame church building of proper size for their worship. This was located in the northwest corner of section 17, opposite the present site of the school-house of fractional district No. 4.

In the year 1837 a remarkable series of protracted meetings was held in the new church, under the leadership of Reverends ___ Barrett and E. Wever, and so great was the awakening at that time that the membership of the church was increased to more than one hundred. Other revivals followed this, but none equaled it in the number of souls brought to the shelter of the Saviour's fold.

After many years of good service rendered by the old church building, it gradually became to be regarded by the worshipers as an undesireable place of meeting, on account of its remoteness from many of their residences and from the central village, and so, little by little, it fell into disuse, and was at last abandoned as a place of worship. It is now used as a barn, upon the farm of Alonzo Sprague.

The new organization of the Baptist church, at the village of Farmington was effected August 19, 1857. The constituent members were J. M. Adams, Polly Adams, Jacob Loomis, Mrs. Therina Tibbets, N. J. Taylor, Celora Loomis, Rebecca Cater, Jane Allen, Lydia Andrews, John H. Rasco, Lucinda M. Rasco, Rosina T. Babcock, Parmela Pusey, and Elizabeth A. Green. Their first minister was Rev. John H. Rasco, at whose house the first meeting was held. For three years they met in private residences, school-houses, and the hall at Farmington village. In 1859 the subject of the erection of a church was agitated, and a lot, one hundred by one hundred and fifty feet, was purchased of John Thomas, for ninety-six dollars. A frame building, twenty-eight by forty feet, was built at a cost of sixteen hundred and eighty dollars, and dedicated in September, 1860. This edifice, their present place of worship, and the largest of the three churches in Farmington village, stands on the north side of the old Territorial, or "Shiawasee" road, which was once the main street of the village, and the church lot lies partially in each of the sections 27 and 28.

The pastors who came after Elder Rasco were Revs. David Loomis, N. Eastwood, William B. Grow, W. W. Northrup, Elder Bulis, S. S. Wheeler, S. Boyden, T. H. Carey, Elder Perry, Elder Bloomer, and G. Crocker. The present membership is forty-two. In connection with the church is a Sabbath-school, with an average attendance of twenty.