Bristol, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Lee Street Baptist Church

Photographed by Mark Parker, October 4, 2024

1. Close up of Lee Street Baptist Church Marker

Inscription. In 1865, at the dawn of their freedom from slavery, 42 former members of the white-led Goodson (now First) Baptist Church organized the Anglo African Baptist Church. The congregation met in a series of buildings until, under the leadership of the Rev. Charles Henry Johnson, they built a new edifice just across the street from here in 1905. The Rev. Johnson served the church, later renamed Lee Street Baptist, until he died during his 42nd year as pastor in 1932. After six decades here, the original brick-veneer church, weakened by the periodic flooding of adjacent Beaver Creek, was razed. In 1966, the congregation moved into a new building at 1 West Mary Street.

Erected 2021 by Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number K-84.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1865.

Location. 36° 35.818′ N, 82° 10.896′ W. Marker is in Bristol, Virginia. It is on Lee Street north of

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Cumberland Street (Virginia Route 113), on the left when traveling north. Marker is on the east side of Cumberland Square Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 Lee St, Bristol VA 24201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Tri-Cities Area,

in Southwest Virginia,

and in the Blue Ridge Highlands.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. 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,

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: Dr. Charles Spurgeon Johnson (1893-1956) (here, next to this marker); Founding of Goodson-Bristol Virginia (within shouting distance of this marker); You Are Not Forgotten (within shouting distance of this marker); Bristol Veterans Memorial

Lee Street Baptist Church Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 23, 2022

2. Lee Street Baptist Church Marker

(within shouting distance of this marker); Overmountain Patriots of the American Revolution (within shouting distance of this marker); The Crooked Road / Bristol (within shouting distance of this marker); Bristol Confederate Soldier Memorial (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Tribute to Sgt. Carl Lee Powers, A Korean War Veteran (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bristol.

Another marker is no longer nearby. The Crooked Road / Bristol (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).

Credits. This page was last revised on October 6, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 670 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 6, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. 2. submitted on November 11, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.