Black Rock Baptist Church was formally organized by 1874 and originally belonged to the Gethsemane Baptist Association. Its roots reach back to the early ministry of its first pastor, Leroy Featherstone (c. 1836-1919), believed to have begun while he was enslaved. The congregation was worshipping at this site by 1907, and the current sanctuary was built c. 1920. By 1884, the church was also hosting a school for African Americans. Early teachers included Mansel Phillip Hall, who later founded Friendship College in Rock Hill. Black Rock School first met in the church, then moved to a one-room schoolhouse on the church grounds, where it operated for several decades until closing in 1957 as Chester Co. consolidated its country schools.