Holly Springs Baptist Church organized in 1860 near the Transylvania County line in the Crab Creek community.
Charter members included the Hamilton, Shipman, Osteen, Rice, Trammel, Sentell, Heath, Rollins, Huggins and Patterson families.
Voltaire C.V. Hamilton was one of the first leaders of the church.
The original church was located near the site of the church’s historical cemetery at the corner of E. Lester Lane and Kinard Lane. In 1959, a new church was built near the same location.
The current building on Crab Creek Road was built in 1995.
The oldest grave stones in the cemetery are those of Flosy Jimison, 1872-1879; and Nancy Jordan, 1818-1879.
In 1937, older graves were found that are not visible today. One was the grave stone of Mary A. Shepherd, 1857-1870.
There is one Confederate veteran with a grave site at the cemetery.
John A. Patterson enlisted in the 62nd N.C. Infantry Regiment, Co. E, on 7-14-1862. He deserted 4-19-1863 at Zollicoffer, Tenn. He died in 1910.
The grave sites of five Union veterans are located in the cemetery.
Joseph Hamilton enlisted in the 2nd N.C. Mounted Infantry on 9-26-1863 and was appointed captain on 10-1-1863. He was ineligible for mandatory Confederate service at any time during the war. He died in 1887. His son, Voltaire (V.C.V.) Hamilton, was a Confederate officer in the 62^nd N.C. Infantry Regiment, Co. E, and died Feb. 18, 1863, at Carter’s Depot, Tenn.
Robert Franklin Hamilton enlisted in the 2nd N.C. Mounted Infantry, Co. B, on 10-1-1863. He was a Confederate deserter from the 62nd N.C. Infantry Regiment, Co. E, deserting on 5-10-1863. He died in 1923.
Voltaire (V.C.V.) Hamilton enlisted in the 2nd N.C. Mounted Infantry, Co. F, on 10-1-1863. He was ineligible for mandatory Confederate service until 1864. He died in 1908. He was the brother of Joseph Hamilton (above).
Drury (Drewry) Wilson Patterson enlisted in the 3rd N.C. Mounted Infantry, Co. E, on 11-6-1864. He was ineligible for mandatory Confederate service until 1865. He died in 1904.
Edward Shipman enlisted in the 2nd N.C. Mounted Infantry, Co. F, on 10-1-1863. He was a Confederate deserter from the 62nd N.C. Infantry Regiment, Co. E, deserting on 5-21-1863. He died in 1916.
The cemetery also contains the grave site of the Rev. Hampton William “H.W.” Patterson, and many of his descendants.
Patterson was born in 1806 in North Carolina. He lived in Rutherford County and was ordained to the ministry by Mountain Creek Baptist Church in Rutherford County in 1834.
Patterson was one of the most noted Baptist ministers in the region. He served churches in Rutherford, McDowell, Polk, Haywood and Transylvania counties. He also served as pastor at Refuge Baptist Church, Liberty Baptist Church and Crab Creek Baptist Church; and helped to organize both Refuge Baptist Church in the Dana community and Liberty Baptist Church in the Edneyville/Fruitland community.