Prior to the year 1891, there were no African Americans living in the Borough of Sharpsburg. Sharpsburg was a great industrial center, business flourished, and the town grew in leaps and bounds. The great Moorhead Steel Mill was the financial giant of the Borough and really can be called the cause of the existence of Sharpsburg. In 1891, a severe strike was called in the Moorhead Mill, and conditions became so bad, something must be done to break it, and the usual thing happened, African Americans were brought to do the job. This began with only a few families but as soon as it was advertised, a large influx resulted.
Most of these families focused on working and enjoying the fruits of their labor in ways which society could not accept as decent and upright. There was no place left for religious expression, and no church to inspire such. Therefore, vice and evil of all kinds were practiced without any remorse of conscience. This continued until conditions became unbearable gaining the attention of the white citizens of the Borough.
Rev. Mr. William Coleman, of the Tabernacle Baptist Church, Northside, came to Sharpsburg to do some very much needed missionary work. Mr. Thoughbourn, then the secretary of the Y.M.C.A., joined with Rev. Coleman in the effort to establish religious work among African Americans. His wife who was a Sabbath school teacher in the Sharpsburg Presbyterian Church, then located where the Italian Catholic Church is now, decided to organize a Sabbath school class for African American children. This was the first Sabbath school work done along this line in the Borough. Rev. Coleman began to have cottage prayer meetings in as many homes as he could secure. Some of the first homes opened to him were that of Mrs. Rachel Smith, mother of the present Mrs. Lula Perkins, that of Mrs. Ellen Smith, that grandmother of the present Miss Mary Smith and Mr. Charlie Smith, who are still living in Sharpsburg. Mrs. Sadie Roy, the oldest member of the Church now, and known as the Mother of the Church, became the first regular attendant at these meetings.
The prominent white citizens of the Borough became interested In the great work Rev. Coleman was doing and felt obligated to help him. It was decided that a Service on Sabbath was needed, so the Burgess, then Honorable Alfred Lloyd, offered him the town hall for his services. This inspired Rev. Coleman more than ever to preach the Gospel and to convert the unsaved to Christianity. Mrs. Sadie Roy, Miss Fannie Robinson were the first to be received for baptism, and Mr. David Robinson was received on Christian experience. These formed the nucleus of the church to be.
In May of 1893, Rev. Burrell, Pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church on the North Sude, came with this congregation and baptized the first candidates, and set up the first organization of any kind of spiritual welfare of the African Americans in Sharpsburg. Miss Fannie Robinson was appointed secretary, and Mrs. Sadie Roy was appointed treasurer. Mr. David Robinson was made the first Deacon. This organization was not known as a church until later, but was considered a mission under the guardianship of the Tabernacle Baptist Church.
Rev. Coleman became ill and soon died in the month of July, 1894. Since the missions was still under the Tabernacle Church, it was up to them to see to another Pastor, which they did soon.
The same year, Rev. Burrell sent Rev. Bagley to assume this great responsibility. He was in Viriginia at the time he was selected but came immediately to the field which needed him so badly. He set forth to establish the Mt. Olive Baptist Church, the first church for African Americans in Sharpsburg. There was a slight misunderstanding which has come among the people because of a Literary Society which Rev. Bagley ousted from town hall, due to the fact they has violated some laws laid down for conduct in the hall. This division threatened to destroy the dreams of Rev. Bagley, because some representatives from the church out of the dissatisfied faction, so as to be able to secure a grant of land Mrs. Elizabeth Sharp Clark, a very notable character of Sharpsburg, had promised to the first Negro Baptist Church to be fully organized. The present Mission met, and declared themselves the Mt. Olive Baptist Church, and immediately set out to secure their money needed for a down payment on the church.
Mrs. Sharps Clark said she would give land for a church to the first organized congregation to raise six hundred dollars, and place the same in the Farmers and Merchants Bank. She asked that a building be erected and paid for in two years, before a clear deed be delivered to the church. This proved to be a challenge for the church. Mr. James E. Gee, who later became a minister of the Gospel, played a great role in the collecting of these funds. Because the white citizens still were interested in the work of the church, it was not hard to gather the money needed for this project. The money was raised, and the construction of the church building was started.
In the early part of the year 1896, Rev. Bagley stuck the pick in the ground, and Mr. Andrew Yearkens, contractor, begun the work. He also used Mr. Michael Kruth to do the cement work on the basement. The bid for the job came to twenty-four hundred dollars.
Just as soon as the basement was finished, the congregation moved out of the town hall and held their services there. One of the greatest revivals ever held in Sharpsburg was held here with Rev. Elliot from Baltimore preaching. Mr. William Thomas, and Mr. Earnest Kennebrew, still members of the church, came in at this time. Prior to this time, Mr. and Mrs. Armstead Howard had come in, and Mr. A.H. Howard was on the Trustee Board. Also Mrs. Eva Banks, and Mrs. Ida Johns had come into the church and proved to be helpful members.
In October of the year 1897, and on the twenty- fifth day, the church held the corner-stone laying. Rev G. B. Howard of the Ebeneezar Baptist Church delivered the sermon. This was a memorable day in the history of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church to all that attended.
Rev. Bagley continued to serve, and did all he could to help the African Americans of Sharpsburg in every way. He remained Pastor for twenty- four years and has them all to his credit. In 1918, he resigned because of his age, and his need for a larger plate for his family which had increased rapidly. It was hard for the church to imagine going on without his leadership. This can be noted in the fact that the next five Pastors only remained a short time.
We shall only mention the next five Pastors who came to the church, served a short time, did some very notable things, and then either died or left to pastor elsewhere. Such things as the furnace, the Baptisimal Pool, and the new set of chairs for the basement were bought by these men. Huge sums of money were raised, and spent during this time of change, which in natural times would have benefitted the church in many ways. These are the Pastors which served over this period, some fifteen years.
Rev. John Dallas Clay ———–(1918 – 1919)
Rev. Walter T. Neal ————– (1920 — 1924)
Rev. George W. Kimball ——– (1925 – 1927)
Rev. L H. Thomas ————— (1928 – 1931)
Rev. D. H. Presseley ———— (1932 – 1933)