Capitol Hill in Tallahassee in Leon County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

The First Baptist Church of Tallahassee

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 11, 2024

1. The First Baptist Church of Tallahassee Marker

Inscription.

The First Baptist Church of Tallahassee. . , Side 1 , November 10, 1849, Reverend J.T. Zealy led his congregation of nine to form a Baptist Church in Tallahassee. The following year, it joined the Florida Baptist Association. By 1854, the church had grown to 265 members. Judge T. W. Brevard bought land on College Avenue to build the first church, which was dedicated on July 4, 1858. During the Civil War, membership waned. When US troops occupied Tallahassee in 1865, they used the church as a hospital and barracks. In 1894, the name “First Baptist Church of Tallahassee” was adopted. On January 21, 1900, a remodeled church was reopened with a new Byzantine inverted onion dome tower and spire. Fifteen years later, this original wooden church was replaced by a classical revival-style building. Due to growing membership, a new colonial revival sanctuary with educational wings was dedicated by Pastor Dr. Harold G. Sanders, Dr. Doak S. Campbell, and Governor LeRoy Collins on September 29, 1957. This building incorporated features from previous structures, including a stained-glass window and prayer rail from the 1858 church, which were installed in the vestibule, and one of the seven stained-glass windows from the 1915 church is in the Mary Lou Sanders Memorial Chapel. , (Continued on other side) , , Side 2 , (Continued from other side) , First Baptist Church of Tallahassee has been defined by constant growth and outreach. Through the support of the Florida Baptist Convention in 1935, the church built a Baptist Student House on the campus of Florida State College for Women and has since continued its ministry to students. First Baptist established several local churches, including Lakeview Baptist (1937), University Heights (1947), Thomasville Road (1948), Crawfordville Road (1957), Haywood Cates (1961), and Morningside Baptist Church (1983). The church began a ministry to the deaf in 1958 and to foreign students in 1961. The congregation was racially integrated in the early 1960s. In 1960, property bordering Adams Street and Park Avenue was purchased. It held two historic buildings: the Columns and the Union Bank Building. Both buildings were donated to the State for preservation and moved to other locations downtown. To further serve Tallahassee, the church dedicated the E.C. Allen Christian Life Center in November 1974. In 2011, the Welcome Center was constructed to connect all church buildings. First Baptist has led the way in disaster relief support, care for the needy, and partnering with community ministries both locally and around the world. , A Florida Heritage Site

Side 1
November 10, 1849, Reverend J.T. Zealy led his congregation of nine to form a Baptist Church in Tallahassee. The following year, it joined the Florida Baptist Association. By 1854, the church had grown to 265 members. Judge T. W. Brevard bought land on College Avenue to build the first church, which was dedicated on July 4, 1858. During the Civil War, membership waned. When US troops occupied Tallahassee in 1865, they used the church as a hospital and barracks. In 1894, the name “First Baptist Church of Tallahassee” was adopted. On January 21, 1900, a remodeled church was reopened with a new Byzantine inverted onion dome tower and spire. Fifteen years later, this original wooden church was replaced by a classical revival-style building. Due to growing membership, a new colonial revival sanctuary with educational wings was dedicated by Pastor Dr. Harold G. Sanders, Dr. Doak S. Campbell, and Governor LeRoy Collins on September 29, 1957. This building incorporated features from previous structures, including a stained-glass window and prayer rail from the 1858 church, which were installed in the vestibule, and one

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of the seven stained-glass windows from the 1915 church is in the Mary Lou Sanders Memorial Chapel.
(Continued on other side)

Side 2
(Continued from other side)
First Baptist Church of Tallahassee has been defined by constant growth and outreach. Through the support of the Florida Baptist Convention in 1935, the church built a Baptist Student House on the campus of Florida State College for Women and has since continued its ministry to students. First Baptist established several local churches, including Lakeview Baptist (1937), University Heights (1947), Thomasville Road (1948), Crawfordville Road (1957), Haywood Cates (1961), and Morningside Baptist Church (1983). The church began a ministry to the deaf in 1958 and to foreign students in 1961. The congregation was racially integrated in the early 1960s. In 1960, property bordering Adams Street and Park Avenue was purchased. It held two historic buildings: the Columns and the Union Bank Building. Both buildings were donated to the State for preservation and moved to other locations downtown. To further serve Tallahassee, the church dedicated the E.C. Allen Christian Life Center

The First Baptist Church of Tallahassee Marker Side 2 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 11, 2024

2. The First Baptist Church of Tallahassee Marker Side 2

in November 1974. In 2011, the Welcome Center was constructed to connect all church buildings. First Baptist has led the way in disaster relief support, care for the needy, and partnering with community ministries both locally and around the world.
A Florida Heritage Site

Erected 2023 by First Baptist Church of Tallahassee, and The Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-1242.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical date for this entry is November 10, 1849.

Location. 30° 26.451′ N, 84° 16.948′ W. Marker is in Tallahassee, Florida, in Leon County. It is in Capitol Hill. It is on West College Avenue just west of South Adams Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 109 W College Ave, Tallahassee FL 32301, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Florida.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and

The First Baptist Church of Tallahassee Marker and Church image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, December 11, 2024

3. The First Baptist Church of Tallahassee Marker and Church

the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

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: USS Tallahassee (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Trinity United Methodist Church (about 500 feet away); a different marker also named Trinity United Methodist Church (about 500 feet away); The Exchange Bank Building (about 600 feet away); The Tallahassee Lunch Counter Sit-Ins (about 700 feet away); Tallahassee Bus Boycott (about 700 feet away); Lewis Bank (about 700 feet away); Presbyterian Church (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tallahassee.

Also see . . . First Baptist of Tallahassee. (Submitted on December 17, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 17, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 238 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 17, 2024, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida.