Williamsburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Site of First Baptist Church
Photographed by Bernard Fisher, May 13, 2012
1. Site of First Baptist Church Marker
Inscription.
Site of First Baptist Church. . In the last quarter of the eighteenth century, two black preachers, first Moses, then Gowan Pamphlet, began holding religious services out of doors for free blacks and slaves in the Williamsburg area. Although identified as an organized Baptist church by 1781, the earliest in Williamsburg, reluctance to recognize an all black congregation postponed its official acceptance by the regional Baptist association until 1793. By 1818, and perhaps earlier, the “African Church”, as it was called, met here in a wooden building on land given to the church by Jesse Cole. The structure was replaced shortly before the Civil War by a brick church, in use until 1955. By then known as “The First Baptist Church”, the congregation moved into new facilities on Scotland Street where it continues today.
In the last quarter of the eighteenth century, two black preachers, first Moses, then Gowan Pamphlet, began holding religious services out of doors for free blacks and slaves in the Williamsburg area. Although identified as an organized Baptist church by 1781, the earliest in Williamsburg, reluctance to recognize an all black congregation postponed its official acceptance by the regional Baptist association until 1793. By 1818, and perhaps earlier, the “African Church”, as it was called, met here in a wooden building on land given to the church by Jesse Cole. The structure was replaced shortly before the Civil War by a brick church, in use until 1955. By then known as “The First Baptist Church”, the congregation moved into new facilities on Scotland Street where it continues today.
Location. 37° 16.209′ N, 76° 42.241′ W. Marker is in Williamsburg, Virginia. It is on South Nassau Street north of West Francis Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Williamsburg VA 23185, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Virginia’s Peninsula, in Coastal Virginia, and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, and in the Tidewater. 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:
Credits. This page was last revised on May 25, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 851 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on May 14, 2012, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 3, 4. submitted on May 23, 2024, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.
