Mt. Airy Baptist

The original building was constructed in 1873 at a cost of around $1,000. The church was organized by members of the Paris First Baptist Church, where the minutes show that they were given letters and released from membership at Paris for the express purpose of organizing Mt. Airy.

Mt. Airy was organized February 3, 1868 at the William Eddins home. R. S. Duncan and G. C. Brown were moderator and clerk from the Paris Baptist Church. Charter members were:

William Eddins

Malinda Bell

Mary Eddins

Mary Horn

Nathaniel W. Dawson

Bessie Eddins

Eliza A. Dawson

David Williams

John W. Bell

 

Rev. W. B. Craig was the first pastor.

The first acre of land was deeded to the church by R. W. Eddins and wife in 1872. The church house was built the next year in 1873 at a cost of about $1,000. J. W. Simms, Samuel Reed and L.D. Welch were trustees at that time. 

100th Anniversary of Mt. Airy on July 18, 1968 – The building of the Mt. Airy Missionary Baptist Church southwest of Paris, where the 100th anniversary of the organization of the church was observed Sunday. The structure has been put in top condition with refinished floors, new paint and decorations and varnishing where needed. It has a full auditorium on the first floor and a full basement and equipped kitchen, used for church events and for Sunday School purposes and is the original building, remodeled several times. The cemetery surrounds it on the north and west sides.

One of the oldest tombstones in the Mt. Airy cemetery southwest of Paris, if not the oldest is that erected for Mary Trussell, wife of Pendleton Trussell. She died December 12, 1873, only a few years after the church was organized, and was 56 years, 9 months, and 11 days of age, so the inscription states.