Exploring Christianity in Antebellum Kentucky Through The Filson Historical Society Collections

The Filson Historical Society’s manuscript and rare print collections document the evolution of the Protestant and Catholic Churches in antebellum Kentucky, along with the personal religious and spiritual reflections of individual Kentuckians. Christian religion followed the early pioneers into Kentucky and soon became organized. According to Charles Kerr’s 1922 History of Kentucky, by 1800, “all the main religious denominations in the new country were represented.” In 1776, William Hickman was the first Baptist minister and by 1785, there were three Baptist associations. A major increase in the number of Baptists came in December 1781, when the Traveling Church, a group of five to six hundred Baptists from Virginia, moved to Lancaster, Kentucky. Roman Catholics first arrived in 1775, at Harrod’s Station in Bardstown, and by 1792, Catholics were numerous in several Kentucky communities. In 1783, Presbyterian minister David Rice was called to lead a congregation in Danville, Kentucky. The Methodist preacher Frances Clark arrived in 1786. He served as the superintendent of missionary work in America for the Methodists. Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury visited Kentucky nineteen times between 1790 and 1816. The Episcopal Church came later to Kentucky when James Moore, a former Presbyterian, was ordained as an Episcopal minister and started practicing in Lexington in 1794. The Episcopal Church was formally organized there two years later. Other denominations also arrived, evolved, and developed in antebellum Kentucky.¹

Reverend William Hickman (1747–1834).

filson historical society

The Filson’s collections on antebellum Kentucky include personal correspondence, diaries, travel journals, sermons, and church records, along with magazines, published letters, and debates, all of which reflect the practices of Christians in Kentucky during this period. The Filson’s holdings do not equally document the non-Christian in early Kentucky, or those Christian denominations with smaller followings.

Manuscript Holdings

The theme of Christian religion, religious thought, and spirituality can be found in many of the Filson’s nineteenth-century manuscript collections. Family members write to each other regarding religious observations surrounding death, attendance at church, who will be preaching, missionary work, and revivals. Ministers record their work through sermons, diaries, and letters. Congregational records document organization, attendance, rules, and beliefs.

Personal Religion

Personal spirituality and religious beliefs are often a topic mentioned in family papers held at The Filson. A letter from Edward Harris, Washington, Kentucky, to the Postmaster General of the United States, June 4, 1800, states that he will not work on Sunday for religious reasons. Some correspondents used personal spirituality as a consolation for disappointment. Charlotte Farnham writes to her brother on February 25, 1819, regarding her broken engagement: “Religion will...heal the broken heart, teach the will submission, bend the mind to cheerful disappointment.” Others use religious imagery in their expressions of love. “Henry,” in Frankfort, Kentucky, writes to Hetty O. Fall in 1858, indicating that her love “is a halo of joy” and that her name is “the watchword of my soul.” In the Corlis-Respess Family Papers, religion is a regular topic in family members’ correspondence. A September 28, 1827 letter from John Corlis to his daughter asks her not to become a Methodist until he has had a chance to speak with her in person; in his June 23, 1831 letter, he writes further of his religious beliefs to his daughter. The Green Family Papers contain many letters that mention religion, often discussing who was preaching at their church that day, including guest preachers. Religion and death was also a topic of correspondence. Harry Innes writes to William Bodley in an April 22, 1847 letter trying to convince Bodley to become more religious following the death of their brother-in-law. He hopes Bodley will not wait until he is on his deathbed to change his ways.²

Missionary Work

Missionary work is another theme found in nineteenth-century personal and family paper collections. Several collections mention the American Home Missionary Society, which was established in 1826 to coordinate interdenominational missionary activities across the United States and in its territories. In a letter dated January 10, 1832, D...