According to Historic Texas, members of a Baptist Church from South Carolina moved and settled in what became the Sardis Community in Cherokee County in about 1848. In 1854 they organized the Sardis Baptist Church. Their early baptisms happened in the Neches River and also Boxs Creek. Little is known about their first Sardis Baptist Church building. The second church structure served as a church and school, on the first floor. The Woodmen of the World occupied the second floor. Later a third building was constructed only for church activities. In 1948 the Sardis school consolidated with the Rusk schools; then the congregation moved their church activities (including their worship) in the second building at the former Sardis schoolhouse. Sardis is located eight miles SW of Rusk on FM Hwy 1857.
From Rusk I drove Southbound on FM 1857 and just North of Sardis I saw an old large boom truck that interested me. The signs are still found on FM 1857. The Sardis Baptist Church was easy to find with its Historic Marker. The church looked like it could still be in use; but I could not determine if it was the second or third
church building. I saw an old hand water pump, but it was chained off so I couldnt find out if the pump was functional.
