Wallace in Daytona Beach in Volusia County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
Mount Bethel Baptist Institutional Church
700 South Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
| — | Black Heritage Trail | — |
Photographed by Stephen Thomas White, January 7, 2026
1. Mount Bethel Baptist Institutional Church Marker
Mount Bethel Baptist Institutional Church is the oldest Black church in Daytona Beach, erected at the corner of Freemont Avenue and Church Street in 1885, in a Black neighborhood of Old Daytona known as Silver Hill. The growing church moved twice within the Black neighborhoods of Old Daytona to accommodate the burgeoning congregation. First on the corner of South Street and Church Street in Waycross. Then, in 1921, it moved to its present location in Newtown, at the corner of South Street and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
The current structure is an elaborate, Late Gothic Revival style church featuring a steeply pitched, front-facing gable roof and two corner towers. The building is constructed of rough faced concrete block, which adds to its Gothic appearance as does the side and corner wall buttresses and lancet windows.
Mount Bethel traditionally has had one of Daytona Beach's largest Black congregations. Its primary founder and first pastor, Joseph Brook Hankerson, was elected Daytona Beach's first Black councilman in 1898. The renowned theologian and native Daytonian Howard Thurman was a member of Mount Bethel, as was Yvonne Scarlett-Golden, the first Black mayor of Daytona Beach. Several other Baptist churches grew from Mount Bethel's congregation, including Mount Zion and Shiloh Missionary.
Timeline
1885 Church Erected in Silver Hill
1898 Joseph Brook Hankerson 1st Black City Councilman
1900 Church moves to Newtown
1921 Church moves to current site
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1885.
Location. 29° 11.811′ N, 81° 1.34′ W. Marker is in Daytona Beach, Florida, in Volusia County. It is in Wallace. It is at the intersection of Doctor
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in First Coast. It is also in the American South and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, 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 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: Historic Childhood Home of Dr. Howard Thurman (approx. 0.2 miles away); Howard Thurman Home (approx. 0.2 miles away); Masonic Lodge No. 36 (approx. 0.2 miles away); The General Store (approx. ¼ mile away); Mount Zion AME Church (approx. 0.3 miles away); Samuel Butts Youth Archaeological Park (approx. 0.4 miles away); Daytona Times Building
Photographed by Stephen Thomas White, January 7, 2026
2. Mount Bethel Baptist Institutional Church Marker
Photographed by Stephen Thomas White, January 7, 2026
3. Mount Bethel Baptist Institutional Church
Photographed by Stephen Thomas White, January 7, 2026
4. National Register of Historic Places plaque
Photographed by Stephen Thomas White, January 7, 2026
5. Mount Bethel Baptist Institutional Church dedication stone
Credits. This page was last revised on October 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 8, 2026, by Stephen Thomas White of Norfolk, Virginia. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 8, 2026, by Stephen Thomas White of Norfolk, Virginia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A link to the National Register of Historic Places nomination form, citing the church's historical significance. • Can you help?
