Springfield Baptist Church (Augusta, Georgia)
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Springfield Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia
was built in 1801 by a Methodist congregation. It is the oldest church building extant in Augusta and one of the oldest in the state. It was built in the style of a New England
meetinghouse, rare in Georgia.
"The simple, two story rectangular wooden building has two doors at the first floor topped by two arched windows and a smaller arched attic window in the gable of the street facade. The east and west sides of the church boast first and second floor ranges of seven wooden 12/12 windows. The interior of the church has an assembly-hall plan consisting of a shallow vestibule on the north end and a long narrow meeting hall."
In 1844 the Methodists moved to a new church, and the wooden building was taken over by the Springfield Baptist congregation, one of the oldest black Baptist congregations in the nation. During the antebellum
years, it had 1,000 members and was the largest congregation of any in the Georgia Baptist Association. In 1897 the congregation built a new church on the site, in the Late Victorian Gothic style. It continues to maintain the old one and uses it for special events.
The congregation claims continuous ties with Silver Bluff Baptist Church
, founded 1774-1775 in South Carolina as one of the first black Baptist congregations in the nation. For this reason, the historian Walter Brooks suggested it was the oldest black Baptist congregation. The First Baptist Church
in Petersburg, Virginia
was organized in 1774 and also contends for this distinction.
The 1801 Springfield Baptist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982. The boundary of the NRHP-listed site was increased in 1990.
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
was built in 1801 by a Methodist congregation. It is the oldest church building extant in Augusta and one of the oldest in the state. It was built in the style of a New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
meetinghouse, rare in Georgia.
"The simple, two story rectangular wooden building has two doors at the first floor topped by two arched windows and a smaller arched attic window in the gable of the street facade. The east and west sides of the church boast first and second floor ranges of seven wooden 12/12 windows. The interior of the church has an assembly-hall plan consisting of a shallow vestibule on the north end and a long narrow meeting hall."
In 1844 the Methodists moved to a new church, and the wooden building was taken over by the Springfield Baptist congregation, one of the oldest black Baptist congregations in the nation. During the antebellum
History of the United States (1789–1849)
With the election of George Washington as the first president in 1789, the new government acted quickly to rebuild the nation's financial structure. Enacting the program of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, the government assumed the Revolutionary war debts of the state and the national...
years, it had 1,000 members and was the largest congregation of any in the Georgia Baptist Association. In 1897 the congregation built a new church on the site, in the Late Victorian Gothic style. It continues to maintain the old one and uses it for special events.
The congregation claims continuous ties with Silver Bluff Baptist Church
Silver Bluff Baptist Church
The Silver Bluff Baptist Church in Aiken County, South Carolina, was founded by several enslaved African Americans who organized under elder David George in 1773-1775....
, founded 1774-1775 in South Carolina as one of the first black Baptist congregations in the nation. For this reason, the historian Walter Brooks suggested it was the oldest black Baptist congregation. The First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church (Petersburg, Virginia)
First Baptist Church was the first Baptist church in Petersburg; one of the first African-American Baptist congregations in the United States, and one of the oldest black churches in the nation. It established one of the first local schools for black children in the nation.Its congregation was...
in Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
was organized in 1774 and also contends for this distinction.
The 1801 Springfield Baptist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982. The boundary of the NRHP-listed site was increased in 1990.