Southern Indiana Living - Sept / Oct 2022

New Albany is home to a
great number of architectural
wonders that have
graced this riverfront town
for decades – even centuries.
One landmark that residents
take great pride in is the historic Second
Baptist Church, known to many
as the Town Clock Church. Not only
is the building recognized for its
beauty, but the church and its founding
members also played a significant
role in the history of our country.
It was a stop on the historic Underground
Railroad, which was a network
of routes, places and individuals
that helped enslaved people in the
south escape to the north.
The church dates to the 19th century.
It was first owned by the Second
Presbyterian Church, with construction
beginning in 1849 and completing
in 1852, just nine years before the
American Civil War.
The church’s exterior is made of
brick and is constructed in the Greek
Revival style of architecture, which is
inspired by the symmetry, proportion
and simplicity of the ancient Greek
temples of the 5th century B.C. The
architect for the project was Isaac P.
Smith, a church member and a master
builder who designed many buildings
in New Albany. Smith is known
for such structures as the Joshua
Bragdon House, the Montgomery-
Cannon House and his own residence,
the Isaac P. Smith House.
When owned by the Presbyterians,
the church was one of a handful
that opened its doors to a mixed-race
congregation, yet not everyone was
on board with the idea. On Dec. 10,
1889, an African American congregation
purchased the building from the
Second Presbyterian Church, and it
became the Second Baptist Church.
It’s no surprise that this building
has endured its fair share of structural
troubles during its 170-year existence.
The original church steeple was
struck by lightning several times, but
the biggest blow occurred on June 28,
1915, when a lightning strike split the
steeple in two. The structure was removed
two weeks later, and the clock
tower was capped and replaced with
a cupola.
The church also suffered damage
in the Great Flood of 1937. The
undercroft, where freedom seekers
found shelter from bounty hunters,
was submerged, leaving behind a
layer of mud and silt once the water
had receded. The remnants of the silt
12 • Sept/Oct 2022 • Southern Indiana Living
Cover Story
and dirt still remain in the lower portion.
There were many times when the
church faced being condemned, but
thanks to the current leaders of the
church, the Rev. LeRoy V. Marshall
and his wife and church administrator,
the Rev. Joyce Marshall, the building
has been given a new life. During
A Church Full of History
Town Clock Church was a stop on the Underground Railroad
Story by Julie Engelhardt
Photos by Michelle Hockman (except where noted)
the past 10 years, the Marshalls have
done a great deal to ensure that this
iconic site could be restored and revitalized.
The Marshalls are from Bullitt
County, Kentucky, and for years their
home church was Ebenezer Missionary
Baptist Church in Louisville. They
were comfortable with their church