Martin Luther King in Lexington in Fayette County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Living Faith
This site housed the first Black congregation west of the Alleghenies
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 27, 2021
1. Living Faith Marker
Enslaved Peter "Old Captain" Durrett moved to Lexington with his wife and began holding services in his cabin at Maxwell Spring in 1790. This site once housed the First African Baptist Church, built by the congregation in 1856.
The Church became the first black congregation west of the Allegheny Mountains and was the third-oldest black congregation in the U.S.
Spiritual and social places
For the black community, churches served as larger cultural centers, providing educational, economic, and entertainment opportunities.
During the 1960s, churches were meeting places for planning during the civil rights movement.
Caption (right): Next to family, churches were the most important Institution for Lexington's African Americans. Black solidarity was strengthened through the equality of worship and control over these congregations.
Erected by City of Lexington. (Marker Number 6.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1856.
Location. 38° 2.629′ N, 84° 29.57′ W. Marker is in Lexington, Kentucky, in Fayette County. It is in Martin Luther King. It is at the intersection
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in 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 and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mammoth Insurance Co. / Polk's Infirmary (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Wolf Wile Department Store Building (about 400 feet away); Historic LGBTQ Site (about 600 feet away); Central Christian Church (about 700 feet away); Site of Masons Hall (about 700 feet away); Commonwealth of Kentucky v. Jeffrey Wasson (about 700 feet away); Birthplace of Grand Lodge of Kentucky, Free and Accepted Masons (about 700 feet away); Fairness Ordinance (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Lexington.
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 27, 2021
2. Living Faith Marker
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 27, 2021
3. Former First African Baptist Church
The congregation now worships elsewhere in Lexington.
via NPS, unknown
4. First African Baptist Church
National Register of Historic Places Digital Archive on NPGallery website entry
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 30, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 322 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 30, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on February 26, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.
