Good Hope Baptist Church and Cemtery are located at 4209 S. Smithfield Road, Knightdale (Marks Creek), Wake Co, NC 27545. This is a SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC SITE, as the cemetery contains the remains of AFRICAN AMERICANS who were born slaves in Wake County, along with several generations of their descendants. These graves bear the surnames of some of the wealthiest and most prominent planters in the county -- Lane, Blake, Mial, Hinton, Price, and Rand, to name a few -- and it can be assumed those buried here once toiled on these plantations as enslaved labor, as there were no free blacks in Wake or Johnston County in 1860. In speaking with a McCullers descendent, I was advised this church was built 140 years ago (ca. 1869) and was founded by members of Hephzibah Baptist Church in Wake County. The cemetery itself was created in very sandy soil, as evidenced in some of the photos. Many graves have been eroded by time. The cemetery features many crude and hand-crafted headstones; but in some cases, descendants have erected new headstones alongside the old. The cemetery is well maintained, and lovingly cared for. Many headstones are in need of restoration, and any living relatives should contact the church regarding helping with this project. //pbfries

Good Hope Baptist Church and Cemtery are located at 4209 S. Smithfield Road, Knightdale (Marks Creek), Wake Co, NC 27545. This is a SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC SITE, as the cemetery contains the remains of AFRICAN AMERICANS who were born slaves in Wake County, along with several generations of their descendants. These graves bear the surnames of some of the wealthiest and most prominent planters in the county -- Lane, Blake, Mial, Hinton, Price, and Rand, to name a few -- and it can be assumed those buried here once toiled on these plantations as enslaved labor, as there were no free blacks in Wake or Johnston County in 1860. In speaking with a McCullers descendent, I was advised this church was built 140 years ago (ca. 1869) and was founded by members of Hephzibah Baptist Church in Wake County. The cemetery itself was created in very sandy soil, as evidenced in some of the photos. Many graves have been eroded by time. The cemetery features many crude and hand-crafted headstones; but in some cases, descendants have erected new headstones alongside the old. The cemetery is well maintained, and lovingly cared for. Many headstones are in need of restoration, and any living relatives should contact the church regarding helping with this project. //pbfries