Jump to content

First Baptist Church (Richmond, Virginia): Difference between revisions

Add links
Coordinates: 37°32′22″N 77°25′53″W / 37.53944°N 77.43139°W / 37.53944; -77.43139
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
PrimeBOT (talk | contribs)
Bots
2,047,059 edits
m →top: Task 30, removal of invalid parameter from Template:Infobox NRHP
updated street name
Line 18: Line 18:
| refnum = 69000349<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
| refnum = 69000349<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
}}
}}
'''First Baptist Church''' is a historic Baptist church in [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], [[Virginia]], [[United States]]. Established downtown in 1780, the church is currently located on the corner of [[Monument Avenue]] and [[Boulevard (Richmond, Virginia)|The Boulevard]]. The current senior minister is the Rev. Dr. Jim Somerville, former pastor of the [[First Baptist Church of Washington, D.C.]].
'''First Baptist Church''' is a historic Baptist church in [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], [[Virginia]], [[United States]]. Established in 1780, the church is currently located on the corner of [[Monument Avenue]] and [[Boulevard (Richmond, Virginia)|Arthur Ashe Boulevard]]. The current senior minister is the Rev. Dr. Jim Somerville, former pastor of the [[First Baptist Church of Washington, D.C.]].


The original church building was designed by architect [[Thomas U. Walter]] and built between 1839 and 1841. In 1841, a group of members formed the [[First African Baptist Church (Richmond, Virginia)|First African Baptist Church]]. It is a stuccoed temple-form [[Greek Revival architecture|Greek Revival]] style building with the two fluted [[Doric order]] columns of its [[portico]] in antis. During the [[American Civil War]] the church building served as an emergency hospital for [[Confederate Army]] soldiers. In 1938, the congregation sold the church to the [[Medical College of Virginia]].<ref name=VAnom>{{cite web|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Richmond/127-0168_Old_First_Baptist_Church_1969_Final_Nomination.pdf |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: First Baptist Church |author=Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff|date=March 1969|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources}} and [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Richmond/OldFirstBaptistChurch_photo.htm ''Accompanying photo'']</ref>
The original church building was designed by architect [[Thomas U. Walter]] and built between 1839 and 1841. In 1841, a group of members formed the [[First African Baptist Church (Richmond, Virginia)|First African Baptist Church]]. It is a stuccoed temple-form [[Greek Revival architecture|Greek Revival]] style building with the two fluted [[Doric order]] columns of its [[portico]] in antis. During the [[American Civil War]] the church building served as an emergency hospital for [[Confederate Army]] soldiers. In 1938, the congregation sold the church to the [[Medical College of Virginia]].<ref name=VAnom>{{cite web|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Richmond/127-0168_Old_First_Baptist_Church_1969_Final_Nomination.pdf |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: First Baptist Church |author=Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff|date=March 1969|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources}} and [http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Richmond/OldFirstBaptistChurch_photo.htm ''Accompanying photo'']</ref>

Revision as of 18:00, 27 April 2021

First Baptist Church
Old First Baptist Church, December 2011
First Baptist Church (Richmond, Virginia) is located in Virginia
First Baptist Church (Richmond, Virginia)
First Baptist Church (Richmond, Virginia) is located in the United States
First Baptist Church (Richmond, Virginia)
LocationNW corner of 12th and E. Broad Sts., Richmond, Virginia
Coordinates37°32′22″N 77°25′53″W / 37.53944°N 77.43139°W / 37.53944; -77.43139
Area0.3 acres (0.12 ha)
Built1839-1841
ArchitectWalter, Thomas U.
Architectural styleGreek Revival
NRHP reference No.69000349[1]
VLR No.127-0168
Significant dates
Added to NRHPApril 16, 1969
Designated VLRNovember 5, 1968[2]

First Baptist Church is a historic Baptist church in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Established in 1780, the church is currently located on the corner of Monument Avenue and Arthur Ashe Boulevard. The current senior minister is the Rev. Dr. Jim Somerville, former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Washington, D.C..

The original church building was designed by architect Thomas U. Walter and built between 1839 and 1841. In 1841, a group of members formed the First African Baptist Church. It is a stuccoed temple-form Greek Revival style building with the two fluted Doric order columns of its portico in antis. During the American Civil War the church building served as an emergency hospital for Confederate Army soldiers. In 1938, the congregation sold the church to the Medical College of Virginia.[3]

Style and Worship

First Baptist Church offers two traditional Sunday services, the one at 11:00 am being broadcast live on WRIC-TV. Most aspects of the church reflect traditional Baptist churches, including Sunday school prior to worship and evening bible studies throughout the week. The music during worship is several hymns, an offertory song (usually instrumental) and a choral anthem. Other music that may be added is children or youth choir, English handbells or various soloists on instruments. Wednesdays offer a meal and activities for everyone.

The Youth Group takes up the whole third floor and is 8th to 12th graders. There are usually a minimum fifty people during Sunday services.

Firsts

Not only was it the first church of any denomination to be organized in Richmond, the first Baptist church organized in a Virginia city, and the first church in Virginia to organize a missionary society for women, but it also was the first in the city to organize a Sunday school for children, the first in America to send her own members as foreign missionaries to the continent of Africa, and the first in the Southern Baptist Convention to have a church library.

References

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
  3. ^ Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission Staff (March 1969). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: First Baptist Church" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. and Accompanying photo

Further reading

  • The first century of the First Baptist Church of Richmond, Virginia. 1780-1880, Richmond: McCarthy, 1880, OL 23299739M
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=First_Baptist_Church_(Richmond,_Virginia)&oldid=1020188529"