On December 7, 2024, Providence Missionary Baptist Church hosted an unveiling and dedication ceremony for a new Kentucky Historical Marker honoring the Old Stone Church. The handsome new marker replaces an older version that was located far off the highway, listed badly, and had become almost illegible.
The dedication opened with a welcoming address by church representative Glyness Gay-Everett and invocation by Jimmy Gay. Reggie Gay then spoke to the historical significance of the old church and its importance in Clark County’s African American history. He also emphasized the role of the Murray and Gay families in preserving the ancient edifice. Dr. Jim Seaver of the Kentucky Historical Society stated that the goal of the Historical Marker program is to educate Kentuckians about the notable people, places and events in our state’s history. The state approves ten to fifteen new markers each year statewide and pays for their fabrication and installation.
The marker wording reads as follows:
The foundations of this church date to the time of the American
Revolution. Separatist Baptists from the Abingdon, Va., area
moved as a community to land prepared for them on Lower Howard’s
Creek by William Bush in 1784. The first African American member
entered the congregation in 1786. In 1790, this house of worship
was renamed Providence Church.
The current edifice was built ca. 1793. Early members included
Squire, Samuel, Elizabeth, & Mary Boone. Before the Civil War, some
enslaved Kentuckians worshipped here with white members. In 1870,
the white congregation moved and sold the Old Stone Church to
local African Americans. It has served Clark County’s Black
Baptist community ever since.
Gay family members participated in the marker unveiling. Others in attendance at the dedication were Cindy Gay, Byron Gay, Tammy Gay-Davis, Andre Everett, County Magistrate Ernest Pasley, and County Judge-Executive Les Yates.
