A historically African American community developed near this site on what had been the Smith Plantation before the Civil War and emancipation. Families established Siloam Baptist Church in 1870 adjacent to already existing burials, according to oral tradition. The earliest dated gravestone is for Harriett Pool (1847-1881). The burial ground was first called Siloam Cemetery, changing its name when the church combined with Belfountain Baptist Church to form Union Baptist Church in 1954. The cemetery is a chronicle of area settlers, including generations of African Americans from slavery to emancipation to contributions in every aspect of society.