Easy Self Guided Tour of the Grounds at Soapstone Baptist Church
Pull this page up on your phone and Enjoy Your Visit
Before this area was settled by colonial families, farmers, and freed slaves, it is where the Cherokee people of this area lived. This hillside with the most photographed Soapstone Rock anywhere, is speckled with other soapstone rocks as well, and there is a mine for soapstone (closed in now for safety) the Cherokee people created and used to gather the stone for different items used by the Cherokee.
As you pulled into the parking area, you see Soapstone Church ahead of you with the Rock and view to the left and the School House on the right. This Soapstone Baptist Church building was rebuilt in 1967 after the Church that had stood on the very same spot was torched in April 1967. The Pastor, at the time, also was a stone mason, so rebuilding the church once the materials were collected was something the community could definitely do. Although most of the families had been farmers for the previous 100 years, education in more than just farming was essential. This community was isolated by the shape of the land, and being not the best lands for farming, when farmers traded land for labor after the Civil War, this was the land many freed slaves and their families received as payment for their farm labor on nearby farms. Many of the residents also learned trades as electricians and plumbers and builders to serve the community and to be able to survive.
The community was able to rebuild the church with the skills of the congregation. The most energetic and vocal leader of this effort was Lula Mae McJunkin Owens, Deacon Mable Owens' mother. She led the effort to sell produce and home made items, butter, honey, etc. to raise the funds to purchase cinderblocks to rebuild the church after the fire destroyed everything. Everything! All the records, births, weddings, etc. were burned in the fire. Arson by local KKK members was suspected, but no one was ever charged, and no record of an investigation exists. It was a terrible loss for the community, however, the accomplishment to rebuild in such a short amount of time was an amazing task.
The personal stories of 100 years of births and weddings were lost to the fire, forever.
The Soapstone Rock
You see the most viewable Rock to the left side of the church with the scenic view of the Blue Wall,
the Escarpment that climbs to the sky from South Carolina into North Carolina.
You can see Table Rock to your left and the mountains and land bridges forming the escarpment as you scan to the right until you see Caesars Head.
The view will take your breath away, so take time to take it in and enjoy it.
If you take a wonderful photo please email it to us so we can add it to the page soapstonechurchliberiasc@gmail.com
The Sculpture: A Praying Woman Rising from the Rock
Day of Dedication and Unveiling of the Sculpture March 6, 2021
Behind Soapstone Church and the Fellowship Hall, you will find a beautiful sculpture that was designed by a focus group and created by Guatemalan Sculptor Keith L Andrews. You can look up the article all about this at...
Dr. Andrews was in a seminar at a local artist colony here in Pickens County called The Rensing Center, when he heard about The Soapstone Story. The story drew him in and he felt he was put in that place at that time to give back to Soapstone with the talents he's been gifted. He asked the head of the center to introduce him to Deacon Mable Clarke so he could offer his artistic gift to create a sculpture that could be installed on the grounds of the church to be used to help tell the story.
He and Deacon Mable and other elders of the church had many different ideas, but the idea of the Matriarchal Representatives who have been a great part of holding together the community and keeping the church alive throughout the years. The Sculpture of the Woman Praying as she steps out of the Rock represents Katie Owens, represents Lula Mae McJunkin Owens and represents Mable Owens Clarke, plus all the others.
The Fellowship Hall
As you walk toward the Sculpture, the Fellowship Hall is to your right.
The congregation continued to dwindle from two main things, the youth of the area moved away to places for better opportunities and less racism, and the elder generations that remained behind were becoming sickly and passing away. The Church members began to offer a monthly Fish Fry to help raise funds to pay the utilities and the pastor. The people of the Liberia Community were close with the other churches in the surrounding area through the development of the Oolenoy River Baptist Association and since Soapstone didn't have a kitchen or anywhere meals could be prepared and served, the church down the way allowed Mable and the Soapstone members to use their facility to start the Fish Fry.
Once it was apparent that the Fish Fry was going to be a successful venture for the church, the elders of the Church and the Pastor and Mable looked into building a fellowship hall with an upgraded professional kitchen and hot service bar.
The School House
The Spring Head
Behind the School House, a path leads down the hill and into the woods where you will find the spring head. This is the place the teacher would send a student to fetch water for the mid day meal during school. The path leads up out of the woods on the other side of the small valley to the Slave Cemetery which remained hidden by the woods on the hill for over 100 years.
The Old "Slave" Cemetery
This cemetery was rediscovered in the early 2000s when the land was being surveyed to get an estimate on the property value to build the fellowship hall. Mable put out the word to get some help to cut back through the woods and clear a path to access the cemetery. Then the real work began, figuring out what was a grave, many of the grave markers are mere field stones. Some are carved soapstone rock. Mable was working with Dr Coggeshall to write and publish a book about this historic place at the time, and Dr Coggeshall asked some students to come and be a part of bringing this historical place back into shape and to help make protection around the cemetery so the graves wouldn't be trampled on as hunters and wanderers went through the woods.
Mable was able to get the county to install a gravel road into the parking area close to the Cemetery for visitors. Later a road was installed.
You can access the cemetery either with a walk through the woods behind the School House or by automobile down Flyroot Lane.
Soapstone Church Cemetery
Congregation and Family members from the area of Soapstone Church can be found buried here in front of the Church and School House. The earliest graves in this cemetery are from the early 1900s. You can see the graves and who they are on FindAGrave. A Virtual Cemetery has been created of the headstones and names and some information of the people who are buried in both cemeteries. Visitors may also consult the "Liberia, South Carolina" book for genealogical and personal information.
The Owens Family land that the church is located on was donated by a member of the family. The land couldn't be farmed and the residents of the valley had already established a Holy Ground, building a Brush Arbour for services and education, and then building the Church, itself.
Share your photos with us, make a donation, ask a question?
If you have photos for the website or any questions, please email SoapstoneChurchLiberiaSC@gmail.com
If you would like to donate to help Soapstone maintain the church and grounds,
we have Cashapp $SoapstoneChurch and Venmo @SoapstoneChurchSC