In 1903, Rose Carter donated a plot of land that was used to build Cartersville Baptist Church. Her mother, Bethia Fairfax, purchased a 27 acre lot in 1846 after being freed from slavery; which was eventually passed down to Carter. Cartersville was a small colony of African American families in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC. The community is documented to have begun holding worship services at member’s private homes in the early 1860s under the leadership of Reverend Wooden. Following the donation of the land, an official church was constructed for the black families of Cartersville, as well as nearby Woodentown in the early 1900s. 

 

The church even served as a segregated grade school beginning in 1927. It accommodated the children of Cartersville until The Colored School of Vienna (known as Louise Archer Elementary School today) was founded in 1939. Unfortunately, fire has claimed the physical structure of Cartersville Baptist twice over the years; once in 1951, and again in 1972. Arson was the suspected cause for at least one of these incidents by members, but no official investigation was ever conducted as a result of any criminal speculations. In spite of this, the building was reconstructed and rededicated a second time in 1979 and stands 'til this day.

 

Many of the members today are close descendants of the original congregants, and can recall stories of the organization’s earliest days that have been passed down through generations. Community and Christian values have been the cornerstones of this establishment and the secret to its longevity. The Fairfax County History Commission awarded a plaque in recognition of the church’s antiquity not long ago. Even so, Cartersville Baptist Church’s vivid past and ongoing impact has been preserved not in the building itself, but through the hearts of all who have been touched by it.