Gulfport in Harrison County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

First Baptist Church, Gulfport

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 9, 2024

1. First Baptist Church, Gulfport Marker

Inscription. Organized in 1896 by Bertha Amis and her half-sister Ruby Thornton, First Baptist Church first met in a rail car in downtown Gulfport. In 1899, a church was built at the corner of 14th Street and 23rd Avenue. The congregation then moved to this beachfront location and constructed a new church in 1915. Badly damaged in Hurricane Camille, it was rebuilt only to be destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. After the congregation relocated further inland, the property was sold to the Gulfport Redevelopment Commission for the Mississippi Aquarium.

Erected 2021 by Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Mississippi State Historical Marker Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.

Location. 30° 22.038′ N, 89° 5.334′ W. Marker is in Gulfport, Mississippi, in Harrison County. It is on a frontage road on north side of East Beach Blvd 0.2 miles west of 20th Avenue, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address:

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2100 E Beach Blvd, Gulfport MS 39501, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and on the Gulf Coast.

Globally, it is in 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 Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian 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: Gulfport - Harrison County Library (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); 1863 East Pascagoula Raid (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ship Island (approx. 0.2 miles away); Old Gulfport High School (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Magnolia Route (approx. ¼ mile away); Harrison County Confederate Monument (approx. 0.4 miles away); Kellier-Sternberg House (approx. half a mile away); Gulfport Civil Rights Wade-In (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gulfport.

Also see . . . Our Story.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 9, 2024

2. First Baptist Church, Gulfport Marker

In the months before September 1896, eighteen-year-old Bertha Amis organized and taught a non-denominational Sunday School class for youth. In good weather, the class met under live oak trees and at other times in a railway car that was side-tracked on Sundays. (First Baptist Gulfport) (Submitted on March 16, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

First Baptist Church, Gulfport image. Click for full size.

via First Baptist Church Gulfport (Public Domain)

3. First Baptist Church, Gulfport

The church in an undated photo before it was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, July 12, 2025

4. First Baptist Church, Gulfport Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 16, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 406 times since then and 60 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 16, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on July 29, 2025, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas.