First Baptist Church
First Independent Black Congregation in Hampton
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Before the Civil War, Southern churches were internally segregated, and African Americans worshiped from balconies. Blacks were not permitted to have their own places of worship in many areas. This changed dramatically during and after the war, and one example is First Baptist Church, the first independent black congregation in Hampton.
Organized in 1863, the congregation of First Baptist moved out of the balcony of Hampton Baptist Church to a section of town known as PeeDee, located near Washington and Bailey Streets. A free Black named Jim Bailey gave permission to build a church on his land. Under the leadership of its first pastor, Rev. William Taylor, the church moved to North King Street, near the Grand Contraband Camp where hundreds of formerly enslaved men and women were settled.
Several respected ministers led the church after Taylor, keeping it in a leadership position in the black community. Rev. Richard Spiller, the third pastor, was among the founders of the historic Peoples' Building and Loan Association and served as its first president. This bank would provide fiduciary outreach and financial stability to numerous African American businesses that would develop and thrive in the City of Hampton and would advance home-ownership opportunity throughout the long period of segregation. Rev. Seymour Gaines,
this page online
The church continues to provide pastoral, social, and political leadership within the community, and is a mainstay of traditional African American worship and community organization.
Erected 2010 by Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Religion & Religious Structures • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1863.
Location. 37° 1.743′ N, 76° 20.693′ W. Marker is in Hampton, Virginia. It is in Downtown. It is on North King Street just south of Syms Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 221 N King St, Hampton VA 23669, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Peninsula and in Coastal Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Historic Hampton (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Virginia State Federation of Colored Womens Clubs (about 800 feet away); Federation of Colored Women's Clubs (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Courthouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); Hampton Baptist Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Hampton Courthouse
Another marker is no longer nearby. Hampton Courthouse (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 7, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 598 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on February 7, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on September 11, 2021, by Lyn Johnson of Newport News,VA, Virginia. 3. submitted on February 7, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
