Several weeks ago I had the privilege of taking a guided tour of the Upper Zion area of Fort A.P. Hill with my mother, Evlyn Upshaw, and her sister, Annie Purks. These two sisters wept as they shared memories of their childhood home. Most everything is gone but the memories still remain.
We stopped at the site of Upper Zion Baptist Church. All that remains are some steps, a cemetery gate and some graveyard markers. A large crater marks the spot where the church once stood. My mother and her sister were baptized at Upper Zion by Dr. Ritter. I felt as if I was on sacred ground as I walked around the area. The spiritual foundation of our community is reflected in the history of this church. The following information is from a letter written by Allene Bruce Smith:
“The first name of the church was Tuckahoe, which was organized in 1774. There was preaching in the homes in 1771-73 by preachers like Lewis Craig and John Waller. This was unlawful so at least two citizens, James Ware and James Pitman, were jailed for allowing their homes to be used for such a gathering. In 1819 the name was changed to Upper Zion. In 1849 the church reported 202 white and 163 black members. Upper Zion was the first Baptist church in Caroline County to install electricity, in 1923. There was a baptistry put in the church in 1905 (first in the area). They were also the first church to have modern factory-made pews.
“The congregation received word in February 1941 that the church and surrounding property would be acquired by the government in the formation of the A.P. Hill military training camp. The government paid $11,000 for the Upper Zion Baptist Church property. It was decided to give to our sister church, Bowling Green Baptist Church, $1,500 to buy a memorial organ. An endowment fund was established with the Virginia Baptist Historical Society of $500 for the preserving of the history and records of the church. The income from $3,000 was for the upkeep of Greenlawn Cemetery. Income from invested funds was to be sent for 10 years to the [SBC] Annuity Board for the benefit of our pastor, Dr. L.M. Ritter. $1,000 was given to the Concord Baptist Church building fund. A $500 bond was given to Bethel Baptist Church in Stafford County. The church's oak pews and $1,000 bond was given to Salem Baptist Church at Sparta. There was also $4,000 given toward the construction of the chapel at Greenlawn Cemetery.
“This church had survived five major wars and had a continuous existence for 168 years. The building was destroyed and the membership scattered, but the love and fellowship of this establishment can never be destroyed in the hearts and minds of those who knew it.”
May we never forget those who have gone before us.
David Upshaw, Ruther Glen