How to Write a Historical Marker

Pine Grove Baptist Church

It was my privilege to participate in a writing project that was a first for me: writing the text for a historical marker. Many years ago when I was teaching English one of the exercises we had students doing was writing précis (pronounced preh-see). Précis is the art of condensing a document in order to convey the subject matter without changing or obscuring the meaning. I would need to call upon that skill in writing the historical marker.

It was when I went back home to Tallapoosa County to attend a funeral that I was told about a project to place a historical marker at the site of Pine Grove Baptist Church where my father had been pastor during my high school and college days. Mrs. Norma Hinkle, long time church member, related how Will Ponder of the Tallapoosa County Historical Society had worked with them to get the project approved.  Will Ponder, I would learn in subsequent conversations with him, has taken on a mission to preserve the memory of many sites throughout the county by way of historical markers.

“We have the project approved and have raised the money,” Mrs. Hinkle told me. “We just need someone to write the words for the plaque. Would you be interested?”

I was indeed interested. That little church out in the country held many good memories for me. The small congregation was full of good-hearted and supportive people. It was the last church that my father pastored before he retired, and he counted that time as his best years in the pastorate.

I told Mrs. Hinkle that I would be happy to work on the project and she put me in touch with Will Ponder. He gave me the specifics of the word and line limits required in order to fit the roadside marker (up to 20 lines with 62 spaces per line).  Mrs. Hinkle sent me a historical sketch that had been written for the Tallapoosa Baptist Association sometime back in the mid-1970s.

I immediately began the précis writing task that I had taught my students during my days as an instructor. Will Ponder told me it would be a long process. “Once we get everything submitted for the marker,” he said, “then we wait. It might take as long as 18 months.”

“Also,” he added, “be aware that whatever words you send will be changed in some way before it ends up on the marker.”

Will was right. He has had plenty of experience with the process, after all. After I submitted the proposed text for the historical marker, everyone associated with the church seemed very happy with it. They suggested a couple of minor changes. When the text was submitted, the committee wanted to add an appropriate scripture verse. Below you will see the writing that I sent to the committee followed by the words as they actually appear on the historical marker.

  

Pine Grove Baptist Church

Established 1909

The building that stands on this site serves as a witness to the hardworking farming community from which the church arose. On November 26, 1909, twenty-one charter members met to organize the Pine Grove Church. The Rev. A.S. Brannon was the first pastor to serve the new congregation. In the beginning, worship services were held every fourth Saturday and Sunday with a pastor’s salary of $125 per year. On March 28, 1920 the church was destroyed by a strong tornado passing through doing irreparable destruction to the entire area and taking the lives of several residents of the community. Worship services were held in a large tent for the next year until another church could be built. In 1948, the membership voted to start a building fund since the congregation was growing and needed additional room. They prayed, but also worked, sweated, and welcomed help from others. Men, women, and children worked together to plant, cultivate, and harvest two cotton crops sponsored by the Pine Grove Baptist Church to raise money for the building fund. Men from the congregation supplied much of the labor in hauling rocks to lay the foundation and sawing the timber that went into the building. The new church was completed in the early 1950s. The church members who had given so much of their own labor expressed humble gratitude for funds that came from friends throughout Tallapoosa County.

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Pine Grove Baptist Church

1909

Twenty-one charter members met on November 26, 1909 and established Pine Grove church. The Rev. A. S. Brannon served as the first pastor: his salary was $125 per year. Services were held on the second and fourth Saturday and Sunday of each month. On March 28, 1940 the original building was destroyed by a deadly tornado. Services were held in a large tent for a year while a new building was constructed. By 1948, church growth prompted its members to establish a building fund which received donations from throughout the county.

The church also sponsored cotton crops to raise money. Congregants and community members tended the fields and the proceeds went onto the building fund. Men of the congregation assisted in the new construction. They brought in rocks for the foundation and sawed lumber for the building. Completed in the early 1950s, the church still stands as a witness to the hardworking farming community in Tallapoosa County.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:1

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