The Fairfield Foundation, in partnership with The Truth in The Spirit, stewards of Historic Antioch Baptist Church in Coke, will host the second annual Antioch Homecoming on June 27 and 28, celebrating the history and legacy of the church and the Piney Swamp community.
Antioch was founded in 1923 on land that was part of the ancestral plantation of the Burwell family in Virginia.
The homecoming is held to share the history of the church and the historic Piney Swamp community, where the pre-Emancipation enslaved took refuge and afterwards purchased parcels from former owners. The church is the only historic public structure left standing in the former community.
A primary reason for the homecoming is to invite descendants of the former residents to share their oral histories and community stories. The Piney Swamp community included stores, a post office, a school and family homes. Many former residents have left the area, but some have returned recently to understand and celebrate their...