Ochlocknee Missionary Baptist Church and Cemetery
Why it's listed
Ochlocknee Missionary Baptist Church and Cemetery sit on a 1.9-acre lot among pine forest in rural Grady County, Georgia, about 12 miles southwest of Thomasville. The frame sanctuary, built in 1918 after fire destroyed the congregation's earlier church, is a plain rectangular building with weatherboard siding, a front-gabled metal roof and a small steeple. The steeple and vestibule were added around 1947, with the steeple donated by Pebble Hill Plantation owner Pansy Ireland Poe and carpentry by Thomasville contractor Forrest Monroe. The congregation traces its founding to 1848. The church served the local African-American community as a religious, educational and social center, and many members worked or studied at nearby Pebble Hill Plantation. A small cemetery to the south, in use since the 1930s, holds church pioneers, including members of the Hadley family. A 1970 fellowship hall and a 1980s baptismal pool are later additions that do not contribute to the property's historic character. The church and cemetery are still in use today.
Significance in brief: The church is significant in architecture as a simple example of early 20th-century rural African-American church design, with a steeple and vestibule added around 1947. It is also significant in black ethnic heritage as a social and civic center for the African-American community of southeastern Grady County. The cemetery is the burial place of influential church members.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 10000924, listed November 17, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 521 US HWY 319 S, Beachton |
|---|---|
| County | Grady County |
| Listed | November 17, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000924 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1918-1960 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Church and cemetery remain in religious and funerary use; the exterior has excellent integrity, while the interior has been altered. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Within district | Pebble Hill Plantation |
| Coordinates | 30.75699, -84.09242 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 10000924.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q29641615
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.