Midtown - Downtown in Columbia in Richland County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Zion Baptist Church

Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, August 31, 2023

1. Zion Baptist Church Marker

Side 1

Inscription. (side 1)
Zion Baptist Church first organized in 1865 and met in a humble dwelling on Gadsden St. The congregation moved to this site in 1871. The current sanctuary, the second on this spot, was built in 1916. Zion Baptist has long served as a center for community organization. Both the Women’s Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention of S.C. (1888) and the Women’s Auxiliary to the Gethsemane Baptist Association (1919) were founded here, as were other important missions. (Continued on other side) (side 2) (Continued from other side) In 1930 Dr. Matilda Evans, the first African American woman to have a practice in the state, started a free clinic in the basement of the church. It served 700 patients on its first day. On March 2, 1961 over 200 African American students met at Zion Baptist before beginning their march to the State House to protest racial segregation. The U.S. Supreme Court later overturned the convictions of those students arrested during the march in the case Edwards v. S.C. (1963).

Erected 2014 by Zion Baptist Church. (Marker Number 40-186.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans

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• Churches & Religion • Civil Rights • Women.

Location. 34° 0.126′ N, 81° 2.463′ W. Marker is in Columbia, South Carolina, in Richland County. It is in Midtown - Downtown. Marker is at the intersection of Washington Street and Gadsden Street, on the left when traveling east on Washington Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 801 Washington St, Columbia SC 29201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A Living Sanctuary: Zion Baptist Church and Columbia's Civil Rights Struggle (here, next to this marker); South Carolina State Vietnam War Memorial (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Tribute To All U.S. Military Personnel On This Day Of Infamy (about 400 feet away); South Carolina Gold Star Families (about 400 feet away); USS Columbia CL-56 (about 400 feet away); US Navy WWII / The Sailor (about 400 feet away); China - Burma - India Veterans (about 500 feet away); The Columbia (S.C.) Holocaust Memorial (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Columbia.

Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, August 31, 2023

2. Zion Baptist Church Marker

Side 2

Credits. This page was last revised on October 15, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 19, 2018. This page has been viewed 214 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 12, 2023, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.

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