Starr Hill in Charlottesville, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Site of Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1884
One of Charlottesville's First African-American Churches
| | Charlottesville, Virginia - 1762 | |
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 17, 2024
1. Site of Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1884 Marker
The origin of Mount Zion Baptist Church is traced back to the period after the Civil War. Although the founding fathers had roots in a white Baptist Church, in 1867 they began meeting independently from house to house. Soon thereafter Brother Samuel White offered his home as a permanent meeting place. Around 1875 the congregation erected a frame church on Ridge Street that they called the Mount Zion First African Baptist Church of Charlottesville. In 1883 this church was razed and, in 1884, it was replaced with the current brick edifice designed by George Wallace Spooner.
The Church's founding minister was Spotswood Jones. Several of the subsequent ministers have been prominent community leaders, including the Reverend Alvin Edwards, who was mayor of Charlottesville from 1990 to 1992.
Hosting many prominent national speakers and leaders, Mount Zion Baptist Church has been influential in Charlottesville history, especially in the struggle for civil rights. Rose Hill Baptist, Ebenezer Baptist, and Zion Union Baptist all came out of Mount Zion Baptist Church.
Erected by City of Charlottesville, Virginia.
Topics.
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Location. 38° 1.802′ N, 78° 29.131′ W. Marker is in Charlottesville, Virginia. It is in Starr Hill. It is on Ridge Street just south of West Main Street (Business U.S. 250), on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 105 Ridge St, Charlottesville VA 22902, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper 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: Meriwether Lewis and William Clark (within shouting distance of this marker); Dedicated to You, A Free Citizen in a Free Land
By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 17, 2024
2. The former Mount Zion Baptist Church
The building currently houses the Music Resource Center.
Other markers no longer nearby. Sacajawea (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); Greater Downtown (was approx. Ό mile away but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on May 18, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 18, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 318 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 18, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
