Historical marker celebrates Antioch’s role in Middlesex history

Antioch Baptist Church and the Middlesex County Historic Courthouse served as the backdrop for the special historical highway marker dedication event on Saturday, Aug. 3.

The newly unveiled marker, which is on the grounds of the old courthouse, notes the important role Antioch played in Middlesex County’s history.

Antioch was one of four founding churches of the Southside Rappahannock Baptist Association and hosted the association’s first meeting in 1877. The Antioch School, an early public school for Black children, was located next to the church and the building still stands today.

The state historical sign at the center of Saturday’s celebration was issued by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) and is co-sponsored by Antioch Baptist Church and the Middlesex County Museum and Historical Society.

At a ceremony in Antioch, which is near the old courthouse, DHR Community Outreach Coordinator LaToya Gray-Sparks said that the Virginia Board of DHR approved the marker in June 2022. She said that Virginia’s historical highway marker program began in 1927 with installation of the first markers along U.S. Route 1. It is considered the oldest such program in the nation.

Gray-Sparks said that currently there are more than 2,600 state markers and 457 sites are reflective of African-American history, which is about 17% of the total number of markers.

She praised Middlesex historian and genealogist Bessida Cauthorne White for her historical dedication and work on the sign and referred to her as a “powerhouse in assisting our office on this sign and others.”

Chairman of the Middlesex County Board of Supervisors Don Harris praised the collaboration of the joint celebration between the county, museum and church. “We are all working for a common cause to highlight our history,” he said.