United States, Georgia, Morgan County, 33.59083, -83.49238Seibert, David, 1941-20201996/2014Location: Springfield Baptist Church, on Bethany Church Road just north of Seven Islands RoadText of marker: "On the occasion of its Bicentennial, Morgan County placed this marker here to commemorate the community of SPRINGFIELD. Identified with the Springfield Baptist Church and School that existed in the late nineteenth century, Springfield has roots in the African American community that extend back many generations. The church was originally organized in 1872, about seven years after the end of the Civil War. The land was donated for the church by Rueben Miller, and the initial church survived until it was rebuilt in 1899 and again in 1917. Fire destroyed this building in 1994, but a new church was built the same year. Located in the Shepherd's Militia District of Morgan County, the Springfield community emerged in proximity to the communities of Bethany and Zachry. Throughout Shepherd's District a number of schools for both African American and white children were established by 1897, including Friendship School, Oak Grove School and Enterprise Academy. At least five cotton gins existed in proximity to Springfield by 1897, underscoring the reliance on cotton as a commodity for the local economy. Because of the individuals who take pride in this community, Springfield is recognized as a significant part of our county history."image/jpegenghttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/Historical markers--Georgia--Morgan CountyCommunities--Georgia--SpringfieldAfrican American churches--Georgia--Morgan CountySpringfield historical markerStillImage