Downtown in Little Rock in Pulaski County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
First Missionary Baptist Church
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 5, 2022
1. First Missionary Baptist Church Marker
First Missionary
Baptist Church
has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Churches & Religion. A significant historical year for this entry is 1882.
Location. 34° 44.583′ N, 92° 16.715′ W. Marker is in Little Rock, Arkansas, in Pulaski County. It is in Downtown. Marker is at the intersection of South Gaines Street and West 7th Street, on the right when traveling north on South Gaines Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 701 S Gaines St, Little Rock AR 72201, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bishop Charles Harrison Mason (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Taborian Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); Max Henry Aronson – The First Cowboy-Western Movie Star (approx. ¼ mile away); First United Methodist Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Cathedral of St. Andrew (approx. 0.3 miles away); LaFayette Hotel (approx. 0.4 miles away); Arkansas in the Battle of New Market (approx. 0.4 miles away); Pulaski County (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Little Rock.
Regarding First Missionary Baptist Church.
this page online
The First Missionary Baptist Church at 7th and Gaines Streets in downtown Little Rock is the home of one of the oldest Black congregations in the State of Arkansas. This impressive red brick church with its distinctly Gothic influences was constructed in 1882. It is the third building to serve a group of parishioners who were first organized in 1845 by Reverend Wilson Brown. Brown was a slave who had attended the Missionary Baptist Church which served the white community of Little Rock.· With the assistance of some of the members of that church, Brown was able to form his own congregation which served a large segment of the Black community of the city.
Also see . . .
1. First Missionary Baptist Church (PDF). National Register nomination for the church, which was listed in 1983. (National Archives) (Submitted on November 26, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. First Missionary Baptist Church, Little Rock, Arkansas (1845-). In April 1845, Brown, his owner, Major Fields, and an unidentified Baptist minister established what they called the First Negro Baptist Church. (Ayodale Braimah, BlackPast, posted June 30, 2014) (Submitted on November 26, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 5, 2022
2. First Missionary Baptist Church Marker
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, November 5, 2022
3. First Missionary Baptist Church
Credits. This page was last revised on February 10, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 26, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 113 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 26, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
