Irwinton Baptist (First)

       According to Victor Davidson in  History of Wilkinson County, The Irwinton Baptist church was established in 1828 located near the Stevens Hotel. A dispute between the pastor David Smith and Deacon John Eady which resulted in combat in the pulpit caused services to be discontinued at the church. It was in the 1840's before another Baptist church was organized in Irwinton and it burned about 1854. (Note: The Irwinton Free Church (later Union Church) was established in Feb. 1854,   therefore the church fires probably happened in 1853.) The Methodist shared the Irwinton Free Church  with the Baptist and Presbyterians.  Some of the early members were  W. O. Beall, Dr. A. E. Cumming and Captain Eli Cumming.  See Union Church.