Our History
Honoring our Past, Elevating our Present, Building our Future
Our Origins
Our Church was founded in 1850 by the enslaved people of African descent who resided on the Jacob Waldburg plantation on St. Catherine’s Island. Following the rescinding of General Sherman’s Field Order #15, the group of Believers relocated from the island; many families settled at Cedar Grove in the White Bluff area in 1868. In the absence of a physical ‘praise house’ the congregation continued worship in a bush arbor. In 1878, 200 acres of land was purchased from John Nicholson including a 1-acre parcel designated for the church.
Nicholsonboro Baptist Church was named to the National Register of Historic Places by the Department of the Interior in August 1978; a marker citing the historical significance of the church as “a primary monument to the community” was placed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in 1979.
Our Campus
The current campus (2022) consists of 4 buildings on 1 acre of land.
- 1870 Sanctuary – the initial Praise and Worship House constructed by the 1st generation of freed settlers from St. Catherine’s Island. The building still houses the original bell used to alert the community of significant events.
- 1890 Sanctuary (Pastor Alexander Harris) – the building has been recognized as an iconic example of early historically black churches.
- 1957 Fellowship Hall (Pastor Richard Williams) – currently used for educational and social events.
- 2004 Sanctuary (Pastor Eugene Pringle) – the most recent expansion of the HNBC campus; Sunday services, special programs.
- Of special note: During the height of the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020/2021, the church parking lot and exterior grounds served as worship spaces harkening back to the church’s origins in the ‘bush arbor’.
Our Community
HNBC has served as an integral part of the spiritual, social, and economic fabric of the White Bluff community. In keeping with our legacy of caring, the Church currently administers a Community Food Giveaway program in partnership with the Second Harvest Food Bank. This program has proven to be a substantial blessing to the people of White Bluff/Coffee Bluff and our surrounding communities.