White Plains Baptist Church was organized in 1806, predating the incorporation of the town of White Plains in 1834. According to church records, four buildings have stood on this same site, with the current sanctuary completed in 1887. The first church was a simple log structure, later sold to a member who moved it to her country property and repurposed it as a kitchen and weaving room. The pulpit became her pantry. The second building, believed to have been built in 1848, was sold in 1872 to the Black community for $1,000. It was rolled to its new location on logs and became the Second Baptist Church, which remained in use until it was destroyed by a tornado in 1992.
The third sanctuary, completed in 1871, burned down in 1886. According to church minutes, the pastor remarked that it burned “because it was not dedicated to God.” During the fire, member A.S. Parker managed to save the chandeliers and the church bell, both of which were incorporated into the fourth and present building. While the new sanctuary was under construction, the congregation held services in the recently completed Methodist church.
The current wood-framed structure features a central square tower, eaves with decorative brackets, and tall, narrow Italianate windows. Entrances on either side of the tower are shaded by hipped-roof porticoes supported by slender posts, adding elegance to this country church.
Since its founding, White Plains Baptist has had only twenty pastors, thanks in part to the remarkable tenure of James H. Kilpatrick, who served from 1854 to 1908—over 50 years. From 1872 to 1878, he also ministered at the Second Baptist Church. In 1899, he successfully petitioned Andrew Carnegie to pay off the loan for White Plains’ first public library. His son, William Kilpatrick, went on to become a professor at Columbia University in New York and is remembered as a celebrated educator. Today, White Plains Baptist stands as a testament to more than two centuries of faith, resilience, and service in this Georgia community.