Snow Hill Missionary Baptist Church

According to the Orange County Black Community Survey, Phase 1 – Seminole County Project Report of September 28, 1990: "Snow Hill Missionary Baptist Church dates from July 4, 1909 and was founded by Deacon Henry Detreville, Sr.  Henry built a bush arbor (at "old" Snow Hill), which served until a church building was erected. Reverends Nelson V. Kirkland and W.M. McMillan served as pastors."  ("Old" Snow Hill was southeast of modern-day Snow Hill).

In the report, according to Sarah Bush, Henry Detreville’s daughter:  "Henry’s homestead was near that of Preston and Minnie Flowers.  Also a turpentine worker, Preston received his homestead deed in 1911.  The following year, Preston and Minnie deeded the Trustees of Snow Hill Church (E.J. Thompson, Sandy Kemp, and Melissa Bacon) one acre of land on which to build a church.  All that remains of the "old" Snow Hill site is the cemetery next to where the church once stood.  Handy Jennings, stepson of Samuel and Henrietta Terrell and a WWI soldier, is the only known burial in the cemetery.

"New" Snow Hill developed south of Old Mims/Titusville Road along Snow Hill Road, south of Geneva in the mid 1910’s.  Families from "old" Snow Hill relocated there: the Detrevilles, Flowers, Bacons, Butlers, Grants, and Terrells.

"The ‘new’ Snow Hill Missionary Baptist Church (a frame building with a bell tower) was built in 1922 on land donated by Henry Detreville, Sr.  Later on, the roof was lowered, the bell tower removed, and the outside was covered with stucco.   In the early days, services were held only the first Sunday of the month, and later on - the first and third Sundays.  Pastors of the new church were: Reverends Enoch J. Peacock of Oviedo; S. H. Harris, Oviedo; E. Thomas, Sorrento; A.J. Shaw, Kenansville; C.J. Jackson, Sanford; and George W. Chappell, Winter Haven."

According to Eddie "Buddy" Banks: "Snow Hill M.B. Church was called Kolokee MB Church when the Kolokee train stop existed nearby on the Florida East Coast Railway.  There was a Kolokee one-room school south of the church that was later built larger on the north side of the church.  In the early days Baptisms were performed at Horse Pond which is located north of the church on the west side of Snow Hill Rd."  

Snow Hill MB Church celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009.  

 

                                                               Snow Hill Missionary Baptist Church - 2009

              

Return to Geneva History page. 

Home Page  Genealogy  The Society  Museum Books, T-Shirts, etc.