Deerfield Beach in Broward County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

First Zion Missionary Baptist Church

Photographed by Jay Kravetz, October 28, 2016

1. First Zion Missionary Baptist Church Marker

Inscription. The settlement of Deerfield was founded on the southeast coast of Florida with the coming of Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railroad in 1896. In 1902, two Methodist missionaries began holding religious services for the community. These early services were held in a palmetto brush arbor, a shelter constructed from foliage. No more than five white families and around forty African-Americans lived in the area. Initially local African-American Methodists and Baptists worshipped together in joint services. The Baptist congregation separated from the Methodists and moved to several locations, including a railroad section house and a one-room house, before settling in a more permanent location in 1905. That year, the first wooden church was built on this property under the administration of Rev. A.J. Thomas and Rev. L.J. Ely. For most of the 20th century, the church continued to expand and the congregation thrived. In 1967 the church building was replaced with this larger, more modern structure. Although the original church is no longer standing, the congregation has worshipped at this location since 1905, making it one of

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the oldest religious sites in Broward County.

A Florida Heritage Site

Erected 2015 by First Zion Missionary Baptist Church. (Marker Number F-876.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures.

Location. 26° 19.026′ N, 80° 6.186′ W. Marker is in Deerfield Beach, Florida, in Broward County. It is on Southwest 1st Court. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 125 Southwest 1st Court, Deerfield Beach FL 33441, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in South Florida,

on the Gold Coast,

and in Greater Miami.

It is also in the American South

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within

Photographed by Jay Kravetz, October 27, 2016

2. First Zion Missionary Baptist Church Marker

3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: William Stanley Beaumont Braithwaite School (approx. 0.4 miles away); Branhilda Richardson Knowles Memorial Park and Historic Cemetery (approx. 0.4 miles away); F.E.C. Railway Depot, Boca Raton (approx. 2 miles away); Old Floresta Historic District (approx. 2.3 miles away); Sanborn Square (approx. 2.6 miles away); Boca Raton Town Hall (approx. 2.6 miles away); The Sanborn Wall (approx. 2.9 miles away); Boca Raton Fire Engine No. 1 (approx. 3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Deerfield Beach.

More about this marker. The marker is on the east side of the church.

First Zion Missionary Baptist Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jay Kravetz, October 27, 2016

3. First Zion Missionary Baptist Church

Credits. This page was last revised on December 12, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 4, 2016, by Jay Kravetz of West Palm Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,111 times since then and 80 times this year. Last updated on December 11, 2016, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 4, 2016, by Jay Kravetz of West Palm Beach, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.