Canton in Madison County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
Mount Zion Baptist Church
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 12, 2024
1. Mount Zion Baptist Church Marker
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Churches & Religion. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1929.
Location. 32° 36.917′ N, 90° 2.509′ W. Marker is in Canton, Mississippi, in Madison County. Marker is at the intersection of West North Street and Green Street, on the right when traveling west on West North Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 514 W North St, Canton MS 39046, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Hickory Street (approx. 0.2 miles away); Old U.S. Post Office (approx. 0.3 miles away); Madison County Courthouse (approx. 0.4 miles away); Madison County Movement (approx. 0.4 miles away); Grace Church (approx. half a mile away); Priestley House (approx. 0.6 miles away); Old Madison County Jail (approx. 0.7 miles away); Howcutt Monument (approx. ¾ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Canton.
Regarding Mount Zion Baptist Church. Excerpts from the National Register nomination:
Organized in 1865,Mt. Zion Baptist Church is … one of the oldest African-American churches in the City of Canton, as well as Madison County, Mississippi. Prior to the Civil War, most of Canton's African-Americans were slaves who were permitted to worship in the all white congregations of the city's churches. After the Civil War, the former slaves that had attended the First Baptist Church, desired to establish their own congregation. With the encouragement and assistance of the white congregation of First Baptist Church, the local freedmen formed the Mt. Zion Baptist Church. In 1870, the congregation erected their first house of worship on a two acre site on the plantation of Jane and R. B. Johnson. By the 1920's, Mt. Zion had outgrown this structure and in 1929, they erected the imposing Neo-Classical building that serves the congregation today. In the 1960s, Mt. Zion served as the center for the local civil rights struggle and became known in the African-American community as the "Church of Refuge." Today, Mt. Zion Baptist Church is one of the most monumental and intact historic resources associated with Canton's AfricanAmerican community.
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Constructed in 1929, Mt. Zion Baptist Church is … a locally significant example of the Neo-Classical Revival style. Designed by Mississippi architect, Raymond H. Spencer, the imposing two-storied brick church is well preserved and carefully maintained.Boasting an imposing facade with six Doric pilasters supporting a pediment, rounded arched stained-glass windows, and twin porticoes, the church has not been altered.Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, March 12, 20242. Mount Zion Baptist Church MarkerMarker is to the right of the double doors.
Also see . . . Mt. Zion Baptist Church (PDF). National Register nomination for the church, which was listed in 2000. (Prepared by Jefferson Mansell; via Mississippi Department of Archives and History) (Submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 41 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 7, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
