History

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church was founded on May 3, 1835 by three couples;  Samuel and Susannah Hemingway, Andrew and Hannah Jones, and James and Hannah Rafferty.  All were neighbors in the immediate area and were former members of Rock Spring Church in Yelvington, Kentucky.  The church was organized in the log cabin home of Andrew Jones on Panther Creek; near what is now known as Hayden Bridge Road.  The church continued to meet in homes until mid-1839 when revival broke out and membership grew to 98.  At that time it became necessary to obtain a meeting house.  On December 14, 1839 the church decided to build its first house of worship.  It was built of yellow poplar logs on a farm owned by one of its members.        

In May, 1850 steps were taken for the construction of a more modern house of worship on a one acre lot on what was then known as Henderson Road.  The framed structure took several years to complete but had a much greater seating capacity than to older log house of worship.        

Over the years the church had obtained two neighboring, one-acre lots as gifts from Thomas M. Taylor in 1851 and Eldred Crabtree in 1860.  This property would become the future Pleasant Grove Baptist Church as it is the location of the third house of worship in 1867 and the current house of worship as it sits today.  The third house of worship, built after the close of the Civil War, was a large two-story brick structure.  The building, used jointly by the church and the William M. Winstead Lodge of Masons, stood until 1945.  At this time it was razed and the brick from it was used in the construction of the current parsonage.        

On Sunday May 5, 1907, Bro. T.M. Morton, the current pastor, announced at the close of morning service that the building of a new church house would be discussed at the next business meeting.  The vote was unanimous and Bro. Morton appointed a committee to plan and carry out the business of building a new house of worship.  On July 4, 1908 the committee reported that a contract had been entered with Mr. Jesse Rowe of Owensboro, Kentucky, in accordance with the specifications at a cost of $6,700 and that the church had already pledged over 75% of the funds necessary.   On July 31, 1909, almost one month after the sudden death of Bro. Morton, the building committee reported that the House of Worship was complete.  This building still stands and is used as the current house of worship for Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.        

After the existing parsonage was built in 1945, the church appointed a committee to build an education building on the south side of the current house of worship.  The education building was ready in 1951 and was used until February 7, 1962, at which time it was destroyed by fire.  The current education building that stands was erected in 1963.  The current fellowship hall was built in 1982 directly behind the education building.