Pilgrim's Rest Baptist Church is located about five miles south of Fayette, AL, on the north side of County Road 159 (S35-T16S-R13W) or (GPS: 33.613572N, -87.861491W).  Its companion cemetery sits on the south side of the road. 

The church was founded on April 24, 1841, and took the name of its neighborhood, then known as "Pilgrim’s Rest."  The first part of the name comes from John PILGRIM, who owned the surrounding land.  The second part comes from that area being situated at the top of a hill; after the long climb up, people traveling south from Fayette would stop there to rest (or to let their horses rest) before moving on.

The present sanctuary was built in 1965, making it the third building occupied by the congregants.

Founding members of Pilgrim’s Rest Baptist Church
(1841)

Males: ANDREWS, David Wright CROW(E), Lewis YERBY, Hogan CATLEGE, Alson GRIFFIN, Richard STRICKLAND, William O. ASHCRAFT, I.M. STRICKLAND, John

Females: ANDREWS, Rebecca ANDREWS, Nancy YEARBY (sic), Sarah CATLEGE, Levina GRIFFIN, Elizabeth STRICKLAND, Martha Ann ASHCRAFT, E.A. WRIGHT, Francis WRIGHT, Nancy WRIGHT, Rebecca

Deacons have included:

NELSON, William Jefferson
FREEMAN, John Allen

Note: David Wright ANDREWS founded churches from South Carolina to Mississippi and may be the same preacher who wrote a book called Through the Preachers Looking Glass (1885).  He was a founder of  the North River Baptist Association, and he was the first “Missionary” Baptist preacher to come to Fayette County.  The other Baptist preachers in northwest Alabama were from other sects.  He was in the Northport area of Tuscaloosa County before coming to Fayette.

Compiled by Hillary "Hill" Wright from verbal interviews and an examination of the church records.
Special thanks to Peggy Caraway, who I interviewed in September 1995 and who graciously made the church records available to me.