9463 John Sevier Road
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Last updated on April 2, 2024
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Directions from Jessie Rupert Schoolhouse to site 11:
- Continue north on S Congress Street
- At the light, turn right onto E Old Cross Rd
- In 250 feet turn right onto John Sevier Rd
- In 800 feet the destination is on the right
- This is private property and there is not stopping at this site
The historically Black Zion Baptist Church served as an African American school beginning in 1868. It was sponsored by the American Missionary Association, which strived for abolition, education, and racial equality while upholding Christian beliefs. Jessie Robinson of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, was brought to New Market to teach 30 students at the school. In 1870, the public school system was established. The county was given responsibility for school operations, and the school was relocated. It is not known when the building became a church. It is recorded to have operated in 1885, but it may have started earlier. It appears in another document from the 1930s and not later. It may have been closed before the 1950s. Today, where the Zion Baptist Church and School once was located now serves as an office building.
