Day's Church

Mina Travis, native of St. Helena Parish, long-time educator in East Baton Rouge Parish, and local historian, researched the history of Day’s Methodist Church. She wrote the “Founding of Day’s Church” used at services held on August 16, 1987, to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the donation of land on which the church is situated.

According to Founding of Day’s Church “William Day settled a Spanish headright in 1802, came here with his family from the Carolinas. In the War of 1812, Day served [with] the Twelfth Regiment of the Louisiana Militia at the Battle of New Orleans.” A headright is an irregularly shaped section of land; a section normally contains 640 acres, or one square mile. Travis said Day prospered as a farmer and a miller.

Travis said that prior to 1810, this area was Spanish Territory and the recognized religion in Spain and its territories was Catholicism. In order to receive a Spanish Land Grant, the petitioner had to swear allegiance to the King of Spain and agree not to build a church of a religion other than Catholic.

According to Travis, written history of Day’s Church started in 1837, and prior to that time there was oral tradition of the community. According to oral tradition, two acres of William Day’s land was used as a camp ground, dating to the early 1800’s. Camp grounds were important to Methodists. Traditionally in the fall after crops were harvested, Methodists gathered at camp grounds, sometimes for two or three weeks. This was a time to socialize and sing Methodist hymns. The gatherings were particularly important to the women of the area, because they traditionally stayed home, perhaps for the entire year, even if the men went to other homesteads or settlements during the year. The time spent at the camp grounds gave the women an opportunity to socialize and exchange recipes with other women.

This area was part of the Mississippi Conference until 1892 or 1893. The conference assigned a circuit minister to the St. Helena Circuit. A minister would ride the circuit, taking the ministry to the outlying areas, holding services in private homes if no other facilities existed, and at camp grounds. The route of the St. Helena Circuit took a month for the minister to complete, and included traveling down the Amite River to the west, and up the Tchefuncte River to the east.

According to Founding of Day’s Church, “in 1837, the Mississippi Conference of the Methodist Church to which this area belonged was making an effort to have sites of the church placed in the name of the conferences. Enoch Tally was the minister at that time.” According to Travis, Tally was the minister assigned by the Mississippi Conference to the St. Helena Circuit in 1836. She said Tally undoubtedly was given the job of securing the land and was successful.

“August 15, 1837, William Day and his wife Dicy Cross Day appeared before witnesses in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana, to deed to the Methodist Episcopal Church two acres square of land. They identified the property as that “known by the name Day’s Camp Ground.” The deed further described the two acres as follows: “The land lying near his residence (William Day’s). Bounded on the North by his Spring Branch, on the East by the road running parallel with the Tickfaw River to the State Line, on the South and West by the opening forest. Trustees accepting the grant were William Venables, S. N. Viers, Jefferson Lea, William Sharbout, and James Newsom. Witnesses were Enoch N. Tally, Henry Day, Joseph Bridges, and Thomas Newsom.”

Travis said the description of the land today would be amazingly close to the original description. The northern boundary, known as Day’s Spring Branch in 1837, is now known as Day’s Church Spring Branch. The eastern boundary in 1837 was the road running parallel with the Tickfaw River to the State Line, and is now known as Louisiana Highway 43, which still goes to the “state line.” The southern and western boundary in 1837 were the opening forest; in 2008, open forests still exist to the west of the two acres and to the south of the adjoining cemetery land, which was acquired in 1893.

According to Founding of Day’s Church, “William Venables, one of the trustees, was a well-known local preacher who settled in St. Helena in 1814, having come to this area in the company of the famous minister, Lorenzo Dow.” According to Travis, Dow was a Methodist Evangelist who was not a circuit preacher and not assigned to the Mississippi Conference.

According to Travis’s history, “Because Day’s Church served as an early campground, it was designated an historic site of Louisiana Methodism in the Bicentennial Year.” A plaque stands to the left of the present church, and commemorates the site as a Methodist Historic Site, and noted the August 16, 1837 donation of the land by William and Dicy Cross Day to the Methodist Episcopal Church, noting its prior use as Day’s Camp Ground.

Founding of Day’s Church states “In 1893, a grandson of the Days, Thomas Gordon Day of Liverpool, granted to the Day’s Methodist Episcopal Church two acres south of and joining the Church.” The deed stated that he made the gift for the “love Donor bears for Day’s Church.” The additional land was to be used for a cemetery, as members began the practice of interring at the church rather than in scattered family plots. Trustees accepting the land were William Day Phillips and D.S. McGehee. Witnesses were B.D. Rand and J.M. Person.

According to Founding of Day’s Church, “Three building have serves the congregation of Day’s Church. The original, built of hand-hewn lumber was used until 1908, when a larger frame structure was built to accommodate the membership. The old church continued to be used from time to time as a community center and a Woodman of the World Hall until it was dismantled during the 1940’s.” Travis stated that upon the dismantling, it was discovered that the original building’s hand-hewn lumber was attached with wooden pegs.

The present brick building was erected in 1967, according to the cornerstone of the building. The cornerstone reflected that Bently Sloan served as District Superintendent and John C. Bounds, Sr., was pastor. The building committee was comprised of Shelby Alford, Chairman; Burke Allen; Willie T. Allen; Mrs. W. T. Allen, Secretary; Percy Kirby; and Laverne Guy. S & S Contractors was awarded the contract to the building.