Bay St. Louis in Hancock County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)

First Missionary Baptist Church

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 9, 2024

1. First Missionary Baptist Church Marker

Inscription. First Missionary Baptist Church, organized in the home of Alexander Fox in 1877, was the first Baptist congregation in Bay St. Louis. The original church building was located on Keller Street. After purchasing land on Sycamore Street, the congregation constructed a new church here. Destroyed by a storm in 1947, it was rebuilt and dedicated in 1952. In 1966, the church was featured in the film This Property is Condemned. Renovated in 2005, the church suffered no damage from Hurricane Katrina later that year.

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 1877.

Location. 30° 18.394′ N, 89° 20.24′ W. Marker is in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, in Hancock County. It is at the intersection of Sycamore Street and Blaize Avenue, on the right when traveling east on Sycamore Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 256 Sycamore St, Bay Saint Louis MS 39520, 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: Carter Church Designs (a few steps from this marker); 100 Men D.B.A. Hall (approx.

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¼ mile away); Old Spanish Customs House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Old Shieldsborough (approx. half a mile away); St. Stanislaus College (approx. half a mile away); Our Lady of the Gulf (approx. 0.6 miles away); St. Joseph's Academy (approx. 0.6 miles away); Publius Rutilius Rufus Pray (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bay St. Louis.

Also see . . . Vertical Files: First Missionary Baptist Church. Digital copy of a booklet produced for the church's 100th anniversary in 1977. Note: Each page is a separate image. (Hancock County Historical Society) (Submitted on March 16, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 9, 2024

2. First Missionary Baptist Church Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on March 16, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 16, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 247 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 16, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.