Milton in Santa Rosa County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Historic Mt. Pilgrim African Baptist Church

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, May 5, 2022

1. Historic Mt. Pilgrim African Baptist Church Marker

Inscription. The original members of Mt. Pilgrim African Baptist Church came from Milton's First Baptist Church. Established in 1845, First Baptist's membership was comprised of 83 whites and 33 blacks by 1849. Some of the black congregants were likely enslaved laborers working for one of the largest slaveholders in Florida, Jackson Morton, whose plantation was near Milton. In 1866, First Baptist's black congregants broke away to form Mt. Pilgrim. The fist services, led by the Rev. Nay, were held in a scuppernong arbor. In 1880, the church purchased property on Canal Street in Milton and built a wood frame church building. Community members and church leaders met in 1888 to organize a Benevolent Colored Cemetery Association, and elected Dacon A. Odum to be its first president. The association purchased land for the burial ground, later named Keyser Street Cemetery. In 1916, fire destroyed the church on Canal Street. Under the Rev. King David Britt's leadership, the W.A. Rayfield & Company, a prominent black architectural firm from Alabama, designed this brick Gothic Revival style church. Mt. Pilgrim continued to be a focal point for

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Milton's black community, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Erected 2020 by The Church and Community, and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1131.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1845.

Location. 30° 37.205′ N, 87° 2.423′ W. Marker is in Milton, Florida, in Santa Rosa County. It is on Dr Martin Luther King Jr Drive just north of Alice Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5103 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Drive, Milton FL 32570, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Pensacola

and on the Florida Panhandle.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and on the Gulf Coast.

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

Historic Mt. Pilgrim African Baptist Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, May 5, 2022

2. Historic Mt. Pilgrim African Baptist Church

Taken from the marker.

Culture,

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: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church (approx. 0.2 miles away); J.B. Turner School (approx. 0.2 miles away); St. Mary’s Rectory (approx. 0.2 miles away); U.S.S. Kenneth Whiting AV-14, Ship’s Bell (approx. 0.3 miles away); Imogene Theatre (approx. 0.3 miles away); Milton Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Korea (approx. 0.3 miles away); World War I (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Milton.

Also see . . . Mt Pilgrim Celebration. (Submitted on May 22, 2022, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on May 22, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 22, 2022, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 718 times since then and 85 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 22, 2022, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.