Big Walnut Baptist - Putnam

The Big Walnut Baptist Church of Washington township is 2 miles south of Pleasant Gardens. It is a member of the Indiana Baptist Association. It is a Regular Baptist Church. This church had its beginning in Manhattan in 1855. In July of that year Elder P. W. Evans, pastor of the Greencastle Baptist Church preached at Manhattan for about one month. Four persons here were baptized into membership of the Greencastle church. The next July, two more came into the Greencastle church by letter. " A conference was held in the home of Charles Hawley July 4, 1856, to consider establishing a Baptist Church at Manhattan.

There were 27 members available. On the third Saturday and Sunday of the following August the “Articles of Faith” were adopted. The constitution of the church was adopted. This was known as “Articles of Faith of the Scriptures” for the Manhattan Regular Baptist Church. The Manhattan Church became a member of the White Lick Baptist Association. It is presumed that the congregation met in the homes of the members for worship and prayer meetings until a building was acquired. This was done by purchasing a building belonging to the Predestinarian Baptists known locally as “Hardshell.” The church existed here for 8 years. When no pastor was on hand, members of the church filled the pulpit. On Sept. 10, 1870, the members voted to dissolve the church. Each member was given a letter of dismissal in good standing. A copy of the minutes of this meeting was sent to the White Lick Association.

The first of the year 1871, a congregation met at an old log schoolhouse on the Manhattan and Poland road. This was called Friends School, about IVi miles south of Manhattan. Some of the members of the defunct Manhattan church were in this meeting at the schoolhouse. On the 4th Saturday of May, 1871, and the day following, the congregation voted to organize a Baptist Church. The members voted to adopt the same constitution as the Manhattan Church. The clerk’s record book of the Manhattan Church was used. The new congregation adopted the name Big Walnut Baptist Church. Under this name the church joined the White Lick Baptist Association. About 1875 this congregation bought a building from a Methodist organization known as Walnut Chapel. This was about 1 mile south of the Friends schoolhouse. There were now about 40 members of Big Walnut Baptist Church. Local people persisted in calling Big Walnut by the Methodist name of Walnut Chapel. Now, after almost 100 years, occasionally one hears Big Walnut Church referred to as “Chapel.” This property of about 1 acre on the east side of the Manhattan and Poland road was abandoned by Big Walnut when the church constructed a larger, better building in 1905. Material of Walnut Chapel Church is now part of the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Otis Allen, who own and occupy it. At the time of the early church, members were expelled for drinking intoxicants, dancing and playing cards. Often a member expelled at one meeting would be reinstated at the next meeting upon confession of guilt and repentance. The congregation built its latest building on land donated by Moses Boone Rissler. This is in the Big Walnut River bottom about 2 miles south of Road 40. This was dedicated June 10, 1906. Dedication had been delayed by bad weather. The Centennial was celebrated in 1956, with an association meeting. Later, a basement was added. Now there is a kitchen and Sunday School rooms in the basement. At present, we have no pastor, but Rev. Creed Hampton, resident director of Camp Isaac McCoy, south of Manhattan, assists the church when possible.

Source: Greencastle Daily Banner 11 July 1928 p 3