First Baptist Church (Collierville)
By August 1836, before Jesse Collier and Horace Barbee had advertised "Collier Town for sale" in the Memphis Enquirer, the Baptists had located in the Collierville area. Shiloh Church was established on the north side of State Line Road (Hwy 57) one-eighth mile into Fayette County. By 1857, the church had moved to the village of Collierville and was destroyed during the Civil War. This land was purchased in 1872, at the corner of Walnut and College Streets across from Bellevue Female College for $225. The church at this site burned in 1909 and again in 1944 and would be rebuilt each time. Additional land was purchased through the years, and in 1978 a thousand-seat sanctuary was built at a cost of $713,236. This property was the home of Collierville First Baptist Church for a hundred and ten years until their move to Byhalia Road in 1995. In 1993, the property was sold to the Town of Collierville and used briefly as government offices. In August 2005, the town removed the church buildings and this park was established. In May 2009, the park was named "Tom Brooks Park" in honor of his contributions to the Collierville community.
Submitted from the Shelby County Register's Office.