Midlothian in Chesterfield County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
First Baptist Church of Midlothian
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 18, 2026
1. First Baptist Church of Midlothian Marker
The First African Baptist Church of Coalfield was constituted on 8 Feb. 1846 with six white and 54 enslaved and free black members from Spring Creek Baptist Church, formerly Cox's Meeting House. The congregation, required by law to have a white pastor, initially met about a mile southeast of here in a log building at the Midlothian Mining Comapny coalpits. After the Civil War, the church called its first black pastor and joined the colored Shiloh Baptist Association. The congregation purchased land here after a fire in 1877, built a new sanctuary, and renamed itself First Baptist Church of Midlothian. This is the oldest African American congregation in present-day Chesterfield County.
Erected 2021 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number O-81.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) series list. A significant historical date for this entry is February 8, 1846.
Location. 37° 30.469′ N, 77° 39.316′ W. Marker is in Midlothian, Virginia, in Chesterfield
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the Piedmont, in Central Virginia, and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Midlothian Elementary School (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Winfree Memorial Baptist Church - Midlothian Mine Disaster (approx. 0.3 miles away); Union Raid On Coalfield Station (approx. 0.6 miles away); Salisbury (approx. 0.6 miles away); Veterans Memorial
Another marker is no longer nearby. Midlothian Coal Mines (was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Credits. This page was last revised on October 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 18, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 18, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
