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church although the little school house soon became too small for a growing congregation. It burned down and Mt. Salem was built in 1824 by free labor. “As it’s being down right now,” commented Mrs. Bank, referring to the volunteer restoration work.
The old church had two main entrances and a side entrance to the upstairs pews. Mrs. Mank said she’d been told the main entrances were separate doors for men and women. “I’m still checking on that,” she added.
The side entrance was for slaves. It sits well above ground level and was reached by wooden steps that have long since fallen apart and been discarded, she noted;
Originally, restoration efforts were aimed at returning the old church to use as a community center or museum, Mrs. Mank reported. However, congregation members still alive wanted to see it remain a working church. Rededication of Mt. Salem as a Baptist Church was also a project dear to the heart of the Rev. Gale Titchenell, Baptist minister at Woodville and an active worker in restoration efforts.
Rededication services took place on Sunday, November 27.
According to Mrs. Mank, the building’s return to active religious use will not affect its selection as a historic land' mark. However, she didn’t think it would be possible to obtain federal funds for further renovation work because of the principal of separation of church and state. She added that the restoration project would still
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