Bristol, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

First Baptist Church

Photographed by Mark Parker, October 17, 2024

1. First Baptist Church Marker

Inscription. This property has been placed on the
National Register
of Historic Places
First Baptist Church
Est. 1912
by the United States Department of the Interior

Erected by Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1912.

Location. 36° 35.703′ N, 82° 10.69′ W. Marker is in Bristol, Virginia. It can be reached from the intersection of Sedgefield Street and State Street, on the right when traveling north. The marker is at the top of the front steps to the sanctuary near the far right door. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 125 Sedgefield St, Bristol VA 24201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Tri-Cities Area,

in Southwest Virginia,

and in the Blue Ridge Highlands.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically,

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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: Evan Shelby (within shouting distance of this marker in Tennessee); Confederate Hospital (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line in Tennessee); Bristol Union Railway Station (about 600 feet away); Historic Bristol (about 700 feet away); Vance Klondike Derby (about 800 feet away); Bristol (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Bristol (approx. 0.2 miles away in Tennessee); Birthplace of Bristol (approx. 0.2 miles away in Tennessee). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bristol.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Civil War Memorial (was about 700 feet away but has been permanently removed).

Regarding First Baptist Church. Excerpts from the First Baptist Church Nomination Form:

First Baptist Church, originally known as Goodson Baptist Church, was organized in Bristol in 1859. While there were two previous church buildings
Photographed by Mark Parker, October 17, 2024

2. First Baptist Church Marker next to the far right door at the entrance to the sanctuary
on the site, it is the extant building, constructed in 1912...Designed by prolific local architect Clarence Baker Kearfott (1884-1975) in 1911, the church is among the most sophisticated examples of the Classical Revival style in predominantly rural southwestern Virginia. Through its use of symmetry, classical decorative motifs and durable masonry materials, the design pays homage to the building traditions of ancient Greece and Rome as well as later interpretations by proponents such as Thomas Jefferson. First Baptist Church was constructed by McCary Brothers Construction Company of Bristol. One of several large churches built along State Street in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, First Baptist is now the only remaining church building on either side of the street.

First Baptist Church was the mother church from which five other current Baptist churches were founded in Bristol. They are Lee Street Baptist Church and Norfolk Avenue Baptist Church in Bristol, Virginia, and three in Bristol, Tennessee: Calvary Baptist, Woodlawn Baptist, and Valley Hills Baptist. The first of those, Lee Street, involves ex-slaves who
Photographed by Mark Parker, October 17, 2024

3. View of First Baptist Church sanctuary exterior. Marker is at the top of the steps to the far right
were members of FBC. In 1865 forty-two Goodson Baptist Church members of African descent were granted letters to organize a church then named the Anglo-African Baptist church and currently named Lee Street Baptist Church. According to the records of the Lee Street Baptist Church, they felt “that they could render more efficient service to God . . . in a church separate from that of their White Brethren. . . and “without provocation . . . organized themselves into a little band known as The Anglo African Baptist Church of Bristol, VA.” A cooperative relationship has existed between the two churches through the years.

Also see . . .
1. First Baptist Church Nomination Form (pdf). Prepared by Tom Parker, Church administrator, 2015 (Submitted on October 18, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

2. First Baptist Church (About US).

Three years after the establishment of the town of Goodson, Virginia (now Bristol) and three years after the first passenger train arrived in Bristol, the first Baptist church was organized there. Since its beginning in 1859 it has had three names: Goodson Baptist Church, Bristol
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Baptist Church, and First Baptist Church. The church has also had three different buildings, all on the site of the present building. In 2015, First Baptist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

(Submitted on October 18, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 150 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 18, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.