Aiken in Aiken County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Friendship Baptist Church

Freindship Baptist Church Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 31, 2023

1. Freindship Baptist Church Marker

Inscription.
This is one of the oldest historically Black churches in Aiken. It was organized in 1866 by formerly enslaved members of Aiken First (Front) Baptist Church. They were led by their first pastor. Rev. John G. Phillips, who was assisted by Rev. Lucius Cuthbert of First Baptist Church. Tradition holds that worshippers first met under a brush arbor before moving into a wooden structure at this site. deeded to them in 1867.

Early members conducted baptisms at a pool near Coker Spring (1 mi. SW). The first church building burned in 1893. It was replaced by the current Romanesque Revival building, designed by Aiken architect Siberia Ott and built in 1893~94. Friendship Baptist Church regularly hosted meetings and other events during the civil rights movement. Other church facilities include an Activity Building (1939, 1974) and parsonage (1920).

Erected 2022 by Sponsored by Aiken County Historical Society. (Marker Number 2 71.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1866.

Location. 33° 33.509′ N,

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81° 42.818′ W. Marker is in Aiken, South Carolina, in Aiken County. It is at the intersection of Richland Avenue East and Kershaw Street SE, on the right when traveling east on Richland Avenue East. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 515 Richland Ave E, Aiken SC 29801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Augusta

and in the Midlands.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

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: Friendship (African) Baptist Church (here, next to this marker); Bells and Whistles: Signaling (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fast Food: Railroad Dining (about 600 feet away); How a Steam Engine Works (about

Friendship Baptist Church Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 31, 2023

2. Friendship Baptist Church Marker

600 feet away); City of Aiken: A Glimpse Into Our Past (about 700 feet away); Aiken Railroad Depot (approx. 0.2 miles away); Schofield School (approx. ¼ mile away); Aiken County 125th Anniversary (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Aiken.

Also see . . . Friendship Baptist Church Abbreviated History – Fact Sheet. (Submitted on January 8, 2024, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee.)

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 31, 2023

3. Friendship Baptist Church Marker

Friendship African Baptist Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tom Bosse, December 31, 2023

4. Friendship African Baptist Church

Credits. This page was last revised on June 14, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 8, 2024, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 398 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 8, 2024, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.