Men from Jefferson Academy established Carmel Baptist Church in 1835, near the Brick Store community. In 1851 the congregation merged with Liberty Baptist Church, which was established circa 1815. The combined congregations chose to use Carmel as the name for the new church and moved to the present location at Mansfield. Enslaved people are known to have attended, as well. Carmel reached its peak membership circa 1911 and around that time, several hundred members left and formed another church in Mansfield. By the early 1970s, the congregation dwindled to a point it could not sustain regular services but family members have kept the structure and adjacent cemetery in excellent condition for over half a century. I imagine it is still used for special events and observations.
