THE FOUNDING “PAPPY” OF

Washington Street Baptist Church

Reverend George W. Dupee was born July 24, 1826 in Gallatin County to slave parents, Cuthbert and Rachel Dupee. His mother died when he was two weeks old. She asked people to raise him properly for her son was for God’s own purpose and he would be useful and live until old age. He was owned by a Baptist preacher who sold him at a young age. He worked in a rope and bagging factory. In 1841 he worked in a courthouse and was brought up under a Baptist preacher, “Father” David Woods. Dupee had a rudimentary education and was mostly self-taught. He became known as a powerful slave preacher in northern and central Kentucky. He was ordained by the President of Georgetown College and married in the old Governor’s mansion in Frankfort.

As a slave still, Dupee was a pastor at Pleasant Green Baptist Church in Lexington. There was always a fear amongst his congregation that he could be sold again. And the day did in fact come when his owner decided to put him on the auction block. The congregation convinced the pastor at Lexington First Baptist Church to buy Dupee’s freedom. After he bought the preacher’s free dom, the congregants at Pleasant Green repaid First Baptist $830 by sending installments tied in

As a free man, Dupee moved to Western Kentucky to preach to slaves, eventually settling down in Paducah to preach at Washington Street Baptist Church. In a 1996 historian John Hardin of Western Kentucky University shared, “He was one of the lights of the black Baptist movement in Kentucky.” He was ultimately granted a doctorate of divinity from the University of Louisville. In Kentucky, Dupee founded 21 churches, pastored at 13 and baptized over 10,000 people. He assisted in organizing the General Association of Kentucky Baptists and in 1867 he organized the First District Baptist Association. He was also a member of the Freemasons.

At Washington Street Baptist Church, Dupee was given the nickname, “Pappy.” Pappy was said to have run the church with “a hickory stick about two inches thick and three feet long.” He was strict in his teaching and membership. The church still has a book of the original church meeting notes. It gives a glimpse into Dupee’s strict code. In an entry for a meeting on July 22, 1890, the scribe describes charges made against members who were dancing and another charge for a member who two married men were fighting over. The entries often mention people who did not attend church. Most of the time, the member apologized and their charges were forgiven but sometimes members were expelled.

He served at Washington Street Baptist Church for 39 years. His very last sermon occurred while visiting a church in Kansas City. He preached from the text, “Ye must be born again.” After returning to his host’s home, he told his host, Pastor Sam Bacote of Second Baptist Church in Kansas City, “My work is done.” Those were his very last words. A monument for Reverend George Washington Dupee is located at Oak Grove Cemetery.