Augusta in Richmond County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Reverend C. T. Walker
1858-1921
Rev. Charles T. Walker was born into slavery in 1858 near Hepzibah, later moving to Augusta to study divinity at The Augusta Institute (now Morehouse College). Walker received his ordination at Franklin Covenant Baptist Church and established Augusta's Tabernacle Baptist Church in 1885. Walker traveled to the Middle East and Europe in 1891, visiting the renowned Rev. Charles Spurgeon's church in London. In 1899, President McKinley appointed him as a chaplain during the US occupation of Cuba following the Spanish-American War. Walker relocated to Mount Olivet Baptist Church in New York and established the first African-American YMCA in Harlem. Returning to Augusta, he hosted John D. Rockefeller and William Howard Taft at Tabernacle and Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver at the Walker Baptist Institute. Walker lived at 1011 Gwinnett Street until his death in 1921.
Erected 2020 by Georgia Historical Society The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History Historic Augusta, Inc. C.T. Walker Traditional Magnet School. (Marker Number 121-22.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Georgia Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.
Location. 33° 27.887′ N, 81° 58.592′ W. Marker is in Augusta, Georgia, in Richmond County. It is on Laney Walker Boulevard west of 10th Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1011 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta GA 30901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, the Western Hemisphere, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Dr. Thomas Walter Josey (within shouting distance of this marker); Dr. James Edward Carter (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rev. Nathaniel T. Young, Sr. (approx. 0.2 miles away); Dr. James Edward Carter Jr. (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Honorable John H. Ruffin, Jr. (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rev. Dr. William Jefferson White, Sr. (1881-1913) (approx. 0.2 miles away); William Carpenter, Sr. (approx. 0.2 miles away); Silas Xavier Floyd, D.D. (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Augusta.
Also see . . .
1. Rev. C.T. Walker: No Shortage of Spirit. Kirby's Augusta YouTube video (3m 3s):
Rev. Walker not only saved souls, he informed them. (Bill Kirby, online news director/columnist for The Augusta Chronicle, uploaded Feb. 22, 2015) (Submitted on June 16, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. The Life of Dr. Charles T. Walker, D.D.. Documenting the American South website entry:
Electronic publication and transcription of the 1902 book by Silas Xavier Floyd, who worked with Rev. Walker for more than 20 years. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (Submitted on June 16, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
3. Tabernacle Baptist Church, 1914, Augusta. Vanishing Georgia website entry (Submitted on August 18, 2024, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 16, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 2,602 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 16, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.


