Biographical/historical information

The Roanoke Island Baptist Church began on July 31, 1808, when the Baptist Society of People on Roanoke Island bought one acre of land from Abraham Baum for "the promotion of religion." The church was a part of Currituck County until the formation of Dare County in 1870. The first church, built in 1809, was burned down by federal troops during the Civil War, and the congregation received compensation forty-five years later from the federal government. A second church erected around 1867, was used as both a church and a school. A third church building resulted from an expansion of the second church, which was built by skilled church members. In an attempt to spread Baptist theology, twenty-one church members were sent to start the Manteo Baptist Church in 1905, and in 1909, fourteen members were sent to start the Nags Head Baptist Church. The Roanoke Island Baptist Church currently operates in Manteo, North Carolina.

Past pastors include William Askew, P.S.C. Davis, R.B. Collier (?-1890), Reverend Gillelance, Brother Stallings (1900-ca. 1904), Thos. Gideon Wood (1904-ca. 1909), D.A. Tedder (1909-1910), James Howell (1910-ca. 1912), O.N. Marshall (1912-1914), T.J. Ragland (1915-1920), H.B. Hines (1920-1937), C.C. Perry (?-1940), Dr. G.A. Martin (1942-?), Dr. Paul S. Carroll (1980-1988), J. Stephen Crane (1988-1992), John Charles, III (1992-?), Daniel Crisman (?-?), and C.H. Tyler (?-Present).

Scope and arrangement

The collection contains three ledger books (1888-1933; 1948-1954; 1958-1977) that include an index of names, year of membership, rules of conference, conference minutes, overview of meetings, and letters of member admission and dismissal from the church. Also included are three Treasurer Reports Ledgers (1953-1968; 1959-1964; 1964-1968) containing expense and financial information.

Other items in the collection are a Women's Missionary Society Journal (1953-1956) that contains quarterly financial reports and meeting overviews; four copies of deeds (11/24/1926; 7/22/1938; 8/19/1982; 1/9/1991) that outline the Roanoke Island Baptist Church plot of land; correspondence concerning churches receiving pastoral aid from the General Board of the Baptist State Convention (10/20/1937), the resignation of C.C. Perry (2/25/1940), and information regarding Abraham Baum (12/21/1982); printed materials of The Roanoke Island Baptist Record Newsletter (3/26/1944) and a newspaper clipping regarding church construction (1986); a photograph (undated) of children in front of a church accompanied by roster information; a Guest Book used for Homecoming events (1959-1965); and a Spiral Notebook (1956-1957) containing financial information.

Administrative information

Custodial History

July 3, 2008, 21 items, 0.50 cubic feet; Records (1888-1995, undated) of Roanoke Island Baptist Church, including copies of deeds and plat, correspondence, church histories, newsletter, and church manuscript record volumes, including minutes of conference minutes, treasurer?s reports, Sunday School treasurer?s reports, Women?s Missionary Society, etc. See preliminary inventory attached. Donor: Brenda Outlaw

Source of acquisition

Gift of Brenda Outlaw

Processing information

Encoded by Mark Custer, July 28, 2008

Processed by David Miller 2009

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Metadata Rights Declaration

Key terms

Corporate Names

Topical

Container list