Founded in 1870, Wadsworth Congregational Church in Sedalia has a storied history.

A slave runs away from Guilford County, earns a college degree with help from a famous poet, returns to the county after the Civil War, buys land from the family of his former master and builds a church. This church.

The slave was Madison Lindsay, who came back with a reverend in front of his name.

He had gone north before the Civil War and worked as a servant for the noted poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, according to the News & Record’s history expert, semi-retired reporter Jim Schlosser.

After attending Oberlin College in Ohio, Lindsay returned home and established the church under a brush arbor.

He named it for the poet’s mother, whose maiden name was Wadsworth.

A photo of Lindsay and his wife hangs in the sanctuary of the building that replaced the old church, which was moved to the rear of the property.

Need a reason to visit? On July 19 , the church, now on the National Register of Historic Places, will celebrate the 10th pastoral anniversary of the Rev. George A. Wooten with special services at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m ., 1301 Rock Creek Dairy Road , Whitsett.






Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com




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