Smith Creek Baptist Church
9312 N. Congress Street PO Box 99 New Market, VA 22844 540.740.8560est. 1756
The Historic Ketocton Association of Regular Baptist Churches
Meets for preaching and encouragement on Friday and Saturday before the third Sunday in August.
Black Oak Regular Baptist Church (Sunday morning)
Eggbornsville Rd, Rixeyville, VA
They are still sending messengers and reporting to the Ketocton Association.
Directions: Follow US 522 East; Go to Rt 629 (Scotts Mill Rd), turn Left; Go a few miles to the stop sign, Rt 729 (Eggbornsville Rd). Turn Left; Black Oak is about 1 mile down the road on the Left.
The purpose of this page is to give some LANDMARKS so that the student of Baptist History can see a link to the past and rejoice in the work which God has wrought over the past 250+ years. These are the places through which we can track some of our history. Many of these churches of the KETOCTON association are still active. Some of these buildings are just shells with a reminder of simpler days and humble beginnings. As Baptists, they needed a location with water deep enough to immerse believers, so most of these buildings are out in the country and very near streams or rivers. These locations take us back to days when buildings were erected by, and for, the little flock of believers in the area. Some of these places bring to our mind, oft forgotten, out-of-the-way places where circuit riding preachers traveled into the hills, along the creeks, and into the hollows, to preach to the gathered saints the precious Word of God. Many of these churches saw greater days than we see of them today, in a time when travel was not so easy, but where was a group of believers who wanted a place to worship and to hear the preaching of God's word.
Below are pictures and directions to help the student find some of the lesser known places where the Spirit of God is working, and other places where the Spirit of God was working in other days. For the time being, until the buildings fall down, as you stand in the cool shade of the rustling leaves you may catch a glimpse in your mind's eye of the preacher heralding forth the precious Gospel, "Jesus Christ died for your sins, and arose from the grave;" "Ye must be born again;" "Won't you come and call upon Him?!"
Smith Creek Baptist Church (Sunday, Wednesday)
9312 N. Congress St. New Market, VA (US 211)
Established: 1756 near Smith Creek.
The oldest portion of this building was built in 1899.
Smith Creek is one of the four founding churches of the Ketocton Association with Ketoctin, Mill Creek (Frederick County), and Broad Run. It is believed to be the 4th oldest Baptist church in Virginia. It is the oldest active independent Baptist church in VA,
still sending messengers and reporting to the Ketocton Association.
Antioch Regular Baptist Church (Sunday morning)
Still sending messengers and reporting to the Ketocton Association.
Directions: Head West on US 211/VA 211 out of New Market 6 miles to Timberville. Turn left on Highway 42. Go 2 miles to Highway 259 at the light and turn Right. Take 259 out of Broadway towards W.VA to Runions Creek Rd (Rt 610), and turn Right. Go about 8 miles to the Shenandoah/Rockingham county line. Antioch is on the right at the county line.
To continue the tour, retrace back to New Market.
TO HISTORIC building: Turn Right on Virginia Ave, follow up the hill with slight left onto Campbell St; follow the curve around to the left onto Cave St; go 2 blocks to the historic building on the Right. This building is pictured on the front of the Ketocton minutes when Mt Carmel would have hosted the meetings.
TO CURRENT building: Turn Right onto Virginia Ave, Follow the road to the Right onto S. Broad St and follow Business 340 South for several miles out of town.
Mt. Carmel is on the East side of the Highway.
To continue the tour, turn around and come back to US 211.
Rocky Branch Regular Baptist Church Luray, VA (Sunday morning)
Founded: 1907
Sending messengers and reporting to the Ketocton Association.
Directions: Follow US 211 East to the base of the Blue Ridge mountain (Brookside Restaurant is on the right), but before heading up, turn Left across the median; go back West on 211 a short distance to the first
Right (Red Church Road)(Rt 674). At the end of road, turn Right onto
Rocky Branch Rd; shortly, veer left to stay on Rocky Branch. Church is a ways down the road on the Left.
Thornton's Gap Regular Baptist Church Sperryville, VA
(Sunday mornings)
Founded: 1787
They are still sending messengers and reporting to the Ketocton Association.
Directions: East on US 211 to Thorntons Gap Church Road (Rt 600), turn Left; Go a few miles until you come to Thornton's Gap Church on the right.
To continue the tour, turn right at the "T" and follow Old Hollow Road (Rt 612) out to US 211.Turn right to go back to Sperryville. Turn Left into town, and follow US 522 out of town.
Beech Springs Regular Baptist Church, Sperryville, VA (historic building) Founded: 1912
This church sits on the edge of the National Park and was active until the National Park Service drove the residents out of the mountain, making the building nothing more than a landmark.
Piedmont Baptist Church Sperryville, VA (a historic building, now renovated an apartment)
This building was an active church for many years as a meeting place for those living in the mountains,until the National Park Service moved them out. This is a very old building built by the SBC Shiloh Association, but became a Ketocton church for many years.
Mt. Carmel Regular Baptist Church, Luray, VA (Sunday and Wednesday) www.mcrbc.org
Established: 1812
They are still sending messengers and reporting to the Ketocton Association.
Directions: Head East on US 211 into the business district of Luray.
Five Forks Regular Baptist Church Five Forks/Woodville
Founded: 1925
Directions: Heading East on US 522, turn Left on Fletchers Mill Rd (Rt 620). Follow several miles. The road runs straight into the church sitting across the road from the stop sign. The church sits at the corner of Rudasill Mill Road and Five Forks Road.
Salem Regular Baptist Church (Sunday and Wednesday)
1362 Salem Church Road, Boyce, VA 22620
Founded: 1810
They are sending messengers and reporting to the Ketocton Association.
Directions: Take I-81 to exit 313, go East to Sulpher Springs Road, turn Left, follow the road to the stop sign at the “T” and turn Right on Salem Church Road (Rt 655). Salem is about a mile down the road on the left.
To continue the tour, follow Rudasill Mill Road South from the church a few miles. Follow the road back to 522 at Woodville.
Turn Left on 522.
Directions: Heading East out of Sperryville on US 522, turn Right on F.T. Valley Rd (Rt 231), go several miles and turn Right on Rolling Road (Rt 681). Follow the road 1 mile; You will go up a hill around the bend to this building on the right.
To continue the tour, turn around and go back to 231, and back to 522.
Historic Buildings
Active Ketocton Churches
Down the hill from the current building is the Thornton's Gap Primitive Baptist church. This was the original meeting place of Thornton's Gap Regular, but the Regulars removed because the Regulars believe in the means, or use, of music in the assembly, missionary evangelistic endeavors, and Sunday School.
If new information would be helpful to bring this page up to date,
please email me at info@smithcreekbaptistchurch.com.
The churches listed below are in two general geographic locations.
The first group begins at New Market, I-81 exit 264 and generally follows along US 211. The second group begins at Winchester, I-81 Exit 313 and follows generally along VA 7.New Market, VA, I-81 exit 264.
From Winchester, I-81 exit 313
To continue the tour, turn around and go back out to US 211, turn right to go to the median crossover to head back East.
Bethel Regular Baptist Church Great Falls, VA (Sunday mornings)
Founded: 1866
Directions from Believers Baptist: VA 7 E to Towlston Rd. Turn Left, go a half mile to the church on the left.
Directions from Mt Zion: Continue out US 50 to VA 606 E to VA 267 E to VA-7 W to Towlston Rd.
Directions: I-95 Exit 166A, (VA 7100, Blacklick Rd) to US 1. Turn Left, go 2 miles to Highland Ln and turn left. Church will be on the left at
8428 Highland Lane, Alexandria, VA
Ketoctin Regular Baptist Church (historic building)
Ketoctin Church Road, Purcellville, VA
NOTE: as of 2023, Ketoctin is completely updated, modernized, and meeting. www.ketoctinchurch.com/history.html
Now under care of Round Hill Baptist Church (SBC).
No messengers or letter of reporting in many years.
Ketoctin is one of the four founding Ketocton Association churches, established in 1751; this building was built in 1854.
Follow VA-7 East, follow VA-7 Business toward Purcellville, turn Left Bell Rd (Rt 720) turn Right on Osburn, Left on Ketocton Church road (gravel).
To Continue tour: Stay on Ketoctin Church Rd to Allder School Road (gravel), turn Right. Go to the blacktop Hillsboro Rd (Rt 690) and turn right. Turn Left on Hirst Rd and follow to Berlin Pike (Rt 287), turn Left, and get back on VA-7 East.
Engleside Baptist Church Alexandria, VA (Sundays and Wednesdays)
Still reporting and sending messengers to the Ketocton Meetings.
To Continue: Stay on Salem Church Rd from the direction you came, to Senseny Rd (Rt 657) turn right. Go to US 340 and turn left. (While in Berryville, you might stop to see James Ireland's memorial at the former Buck Marsh Church, now Berryville Baptist Church (SBC) on Academy, and then go see the historical marker on 340 just beyond VA-7 where the Buck Marsh church stood, before follwoing VA-7 towards Ketoctin Baptist.)
Robinson River Regular Baptist ChurchCriglersville, VA (a historic building)
Criglersville, VA (a historic building)Robinson River was once a large and active church from which other churches in the area were born: possibly F.T. Baptist, and certainly Swift Ford and Beth Car, to name a few.
To get there, continue out Rt 231, follow to Rt 670 and turn right to Criglersville. The church sits up on the hill on the right just before Criglersville. (Don't yawn or you will miss both the church and Criglersville.)
Hiram Yeager gave land (.333 acres) for the church for the sum of $1.00 on May 25, 1855. It was given to the Trustee of Regular Baptist Church or Congregation at Madison Courthouse, Willie F. Foushee, Michael H. Gaar, George A. Harrison, Robert A. Jackson, and James G. Murray and can be found in Deed Book 22, at Page 240."
According to the historical marker (at right) on Rt 231 at Rt 707 (Slate Mills Road), F.T. Baptist was originally known as Ragged Mountain Church. According to the history at Swift Ford Baptist (see below), Robinson River was also originally known as Ragged Mountain Church. It follows then, possibly, that Robinson River and F.T. Baptist came out of the Ragged Mountain Church. Eventually, Robinson River birthed Swift Ford and Beth Car.
There were seventy six Charter Members, twenty eight white males, three black males, thirty nine white females, and six black females. Three churches emerged from this early union. They were Beth Car at Madison Court House (organized in May 1823), Robinson River Primitive at Brightwood (organized in 1892), and Swift Ford, Criglersville (organized in 1883). Shiloh Free Will Baptist (Criglersville) was organized in 1877 from members who originally belonged to Beth Car.
The website of Swift Ford Baptist Church claims its parent church as Robinson River, See http://swiftfordbaptistchurch.com/churchhistory.html
From their website: The roots of Swift Ford Baptist Church can be found documented as far back as January 4, 1790 where it has been noted that early members belonged to Ragged Mountain Church, which later became known as, “The Baptist Church of Christ”, “The Robinson River Primitive Baptist Church”, “The Old School Baptist Church”, and “The Robinson River Regular Baptist Church”.
F.T. Baptist is listed as having begun in 1778, and is now SBC in the Shiloh Association.
Beth Car Baptist Church in Madison was birthed (1823) by Robinson River, and was a Regular Baptist Church. See "History" at http://www.bethcarbaptist.com/aboutus.html From their website: "In the beginning…..excerpts from minutes of the Baptist Church of Christ at the Robinson River, Criglersville, Virginia…”The petition of Brother Michael Yeager for letters of dismissal to form a new Constitution at Beth Car Meeting House was granted and 57 members were dismissed by letter to form a new church under the guidance of Elder Oliver Welch.”
~ John Fishback, Clerk, August 2, 1823
Beth Car is now a SBC church in the Shiloh Association.
Directons: Continue on US 211 East over the Blue Ridge. When coming out of the mountain, watch on the right for the church up on the hill in the clearing. It is immediately before the "Sperryville" sign. A small parking area is available on the opposite side of 211.
To continue the tour, stay on US 211 past Sperryville's business area.
