Georgetown in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
First Baptist Church, Georgetown
2624 Dumbarton Street, NW
— African American Heritage Trail, Washington DC —
Photographed By Richard E. Miller, June 27, 2010
1. First Baptist Church, Georgetown Marker
Inscription.
First Baptist Church, Georgetown. 2624 Dumbarton Street, NW. The first Baptist church established in Georgetown was funded in 1862 by the Reverend Sandy Alexander (1818-1902), a former slave who led the church until 1889. Among the founding members was Collins Williams, a preacher from Fredericksburg, Virginia, who with his wife Betsey had been leading religious meetings in private homes. Rev. Alexander’s congregation, expanded by the arrival of a group from Fredericksburg, first met in a small frame structure known as “the Ark” on land at 29th and O Streets, donated by the Williamses. In 1882, congregants laid the cornerstone for the current building, financing it in part with the proceeds of Rev. Alexander’s speaking tour through the northern states.
The first Baptist church established in Georgetown was funded in 1862 by the Reverend Sandy Alexander (1818-1902), a former slave who led the church until 1889. Among the founding members was Collins Williams, a preacher from Fredericksburg, Virginia, who with his wife Betsey had been leading religious meetings in private homes. Rev. Alexander’s congregation, expanded by the arrival of a group from Fredericksburg, first met in a small frame structure known as “the Ark” on land at 29th and O Streets, donated by the Williamses. In 1882, congregants laid the cornerstone for the current building, financing it in part with the proceeds of Rev. Alexander’s speaking tour through the northern states.
Location. 38° 54.457′ N, 77° 3.341′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Georgetown. Marker is at the intersection of Dumbarton Street Northwest and 27th Street Northwest, on the right when traveling east on Dumbarton
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Street Northwest. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2624 Dumbarton Street Northwest, Washington DC 20007, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By J. Makali Bruton, September 12, 2016
6. W. D. Abrams Annex at the First Baptist Church
This additional marker is along the western side of the church on 27th St., NW and reads: W. D. Abrams Annex, First Baptist Church, Georgetown, dedicates this building in memory of its ninth pastor, Wellington D. Abrams, who served this church faithfully from 1963 to 1988., C.J. Malloy, Jr. Pastor, November 16, 1997
The Washington Post
7. Rev. Sandy Alexander
This image of the Reverend Sandy Alexander appeared in the Washington Post on February 16, 1896 in an article entitled Patriarch Of His Race: Rev. Sandy Alexander Has Rightly Earned That Title.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 14, 2024
8. Georgetown African American Historic Landmark medallion on the church
Credits. This page was last revised on February 14, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 30, 2010, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. This page has been viewed 1,365 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 30, 2010, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. 5. submitted on October 12, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. 6. submitted on September 12, 2016, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. 7. submitted on February 27, 2022, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. 8. submitted on February 14, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.