This collection is formed of materials created by the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, dating from the mid-1800s to the present day. Inculded in this collection are church records such as member rolls, meeting minutes, photographs, bibles, building blueprints, and audio visual materials.
The history of the First Baptist Church (FBC) can be traced to 1776 when a group of free and enslaved Black people began publicly worshiping after the constraints of British Anglicanism was lifted in Virginia. The First Baptist Church claims to be the oldest continuously operating black congregation in the United States, as it was practicing prior to applying for admittance to the Dover Baptist Association in 1791.
Worshippers first met under a brush arbor built near Green Spring, a plantation west of Williamsburg. A white landowner named Robert F. Coles offered the congregation space in his carriage house on Nassau Street around 1776. This is where the congregation was located when they became a part of the Dover Baptist Association as the African Baptist Church. Membership to the Association lapsed and resumed several times between 1776 and 1828. 1828 saw the remodeling of the carriage house to accommodate a growing congregation. After several rebellions against slavery across the country, including one led by Nat Turner in Southampton, Virginia, the Virginia House of Delegates passed an act on March 15, 1832 that required white pastors to lead Black religious organizations. As a result, the membership rolls decreased by nearly half. On Friday, April 14, 1834, a tornado destroyed the remodeled 1828 church building. The congregation moved to worship at the white Zion Baptist Church. In May 1856, the new African Baptist Church on Nassau street was dedicated.
During the Civil War, the church building was used as a hospital for Confederate soldiers until the Union army took the city. Soon after in 1863, the congregation regained control of the building and changed the name to The First Baptist Church of Williamsburg. The Philadelphia Friends Freedman's Association established a school in the church that same year, which flourished until the establishment of free public schools in 1870. After the Civil War, the requirement for a white pastor was removed and the congregation was able to choose their own leadership.
1871 saw an additional expansion of the church ground by thirty-five feet of land to the south side. In 1886, the church's womens' auxiliary committee raised funds to add a fence, a belfry and bell, a woodhouse, and in 1887, another twenty feet of land was purchased. A building committee was formed, and the structure was renovated with the side galleries removed in 1893. A fire damaged the building in 1930, but was repaired within a year. An annex was planned to be built in 1953, however, that same year Colonial Williamsburg offered $130,000 as well as a larger plot of land on Scotland street to purchase the church building on Nassau street. In August 18, 1954, the church trustees agreed to the deal. Attorney Lewis Armistead oversaw the legal proceedings while Bernard B. Spiegel was hired as the architect of the new church on Scotland Street. The church was completed in late 1956. Colonial Williamsburg demolished the Nassau street building in 1956 and constructed a parking lot.
In the spring of 1984, the coordinator of James City County's 350th Anniversary, Mrs. Robinette Fitzsimmons, requested that church members allow visitors to tour the church, view artifacts, and listen to history lessons. That request led to the creation of the Church Historian Position, and Miss. Marie Sheppard was appointed. Sheppard agreed to Colonial Williamsburg's request with the stipulation that a history book be jointly created and requested that Colonial Williamsburg restore the Nassau street church. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation agreed, but on the condition that the 1818 version be restored instead of the 1856 church building that was demolished. The Lilly Foundation provided a grant of $74,000 for an exhibition on the history of First Baptist Church, and it opened to the public in 2003. In 2020, Colonial Williamsburg began archaeological excavations of the original church site, and in 2021 discovered evidence of human remains. Currently, the church burial grounds are undergoing further research.
First Baptist Church Collection, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries.
The collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from The First Baptist Church.
This collection is arranged into five series. Series I, Administrative Papers; which holds documents related to the oganization and operation of the church such as meeting minutes, notes, member registers, ledgers, and bylaws. Series II, Photographs; contains images of, and pertaining to, the First Baptist Church. Series III, Bibles and Hymnals; Bibles and Hymnals either held by the church itself, or by church members. Series IV, Audiovisual Materials; CDs, audio recordings, and oral histories. And Series V, Blueprints; blueprints of the 1956 church building, as well as other documents pertaining to the construction process.
On extended loan from the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg.
Viewing Series V is restricted to members of the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg.
This series contains meeting minute books, church records, and committee information related to the operation of the First Baptist Church.
A Sunday School record book from 1974-1975. Contains collection reports, attendance records, and meeting notes. The cover is red and black patterned with gold lettering, and has two green with white lettering stickers spelling out "First Baptist Sunday School."
A Sunday School record book from 1975-1976. Contains collection reports, attendance records, and meeting notes. The cover is light brown, and has gold lettering with the word "Record" enscribed on the top right.
A check register with papers from 1942-1946. Contains dated financial information along with a group of un-folded brochures from the Church's 205th Anniversary. The register is a brown binder whose cover is separating from the spine. The cover is embossed with the Peninsula Bank and Trust Co. logo.
Due to the fragility of this item, it is recommended that a staff member assist any researchers when viewing.
A minute book with typed entries from 1979-1986. Contains meeting notes from several church committees, as well as budget numbers. Bound in burgundy pleather with "National" stamped on the spine. The spine contains a yellow note taped to it with the entry date range.
A minute book with handwritten entries from 1951-1974. Contains meeting notes and budget calculations. The binding is missing a spine, the cover is black with red corners. Inside the book, the first page from the manufacturer reads "Account Book, No. S64."
A record book spanning from 1926 to 1969. This book has various loose objects sandwiched between the pages, including grocery lists, receipts, and dated notes. The contents of the book's pages feature member information, baptism and death dates. These records are followed by church meeting notes, which include information on the collection numbers, membership, leadership decisions, and the actions of various committees.
A record book that spans from 1865 to 1871. The book features member information, including baptism and death dates. These records are followed by church meeting notes, which include information on the collection numbers, membership, leadership decisions, and the actions of various committees.
Meeting minutes book housed in a tan hard case, spine reads "First Baptist Church Meeting Minutes August 1, 1887 - March 1895+," includes a loose letter and a conservation note.
A church minute book bound in red, the spine reads "First Baptist Church Minutes Book 4, 1897-1922."
A church minute book bound in brown leather, spine reads "First Baptist Church 1891-1950," a yellow note accompanies the book and reads "Church Minutes 1879 (1893) 1950."
Church financial notes and records.
Two newspaper clippings and a brochure titled "First Africans: Angela."
Typed meeting minutes.
A 3 inch by 2 inch sized booklet with ledger notations inside.
A stapled packet of church information created to celebrate the 226th first baptist church anniversary.
Document entitled, "constitution and Bylaws for a baptist church." It contains handwritten corrections.
Nomination charts, agendas, trustee responibilites, and evaulation forms.
A dark yellow/gold packing list from Etherington Conservation Services for the convervation work done on "Minute Book #3."
A group of letters and other correspondence that was held in the front binder pocket of the 1954 - 1991 Trustee Book.
Documents pertaining to the First Baptist Church that were orginally held in the front pocket of the Department of Historic Resources Historical Marker Application Binder. Also contains sign mock-ups and blueprints of the church building.
Member Register book, reads "Church Records #9,1927" on spine, bound in red cloth fraying at the edges, actual dates 1927-1938.
Church member records. The red, marble-bound book is labeled "FBC Minutes 1875 Deacon /minutes September 1885," actual dates are 1875-1912.
A Minutes of the Deacons book, 1884-1893, in a tan hard case, book bound in red wavy marble pattern with red leather spine.
A deacon's committee meeting minutes book in a dark brown hard case, book itself is bound with a green tinted wavy marble pattern cover, spine reads "Church Minute Book 7," dates 1866-1872.
A binder and 78 photographs of the First Baptist Church.
The binder contains scans of the 1956 church blueprints which are restricted. There is also a property record card, which contains land valuation assessments, items are restricted.
The binder also includes a mock-up for signs from Scotty Signs, bill of sale, a timeline of the application for the Virginia Landmarks Register, an application for the National Register of Historic Places, a copy of the application form for the landmark recognition, article clippings, Department of Historic Resources agenda, nomination for consideration to the national and state registries,and an architecture evaluation.
This item is restricted to members of the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg.
A binder containing meeting minutes and trustee documents.
A record book with a blue cover that contains diaconate records and meeting notes.
Five photograph albums and one binder from the Department of Historic Resources in Virginia.
Undated photographs and one dated choir photograph with identifcation list from 1957. This folder also houses a two page exhibition banner chart.
Photos of First Baptist Church originally housed in the Department of Historic Resources binder. Predominantly photographs showcasing the Scotland St. building.
There are three bibles in the collection. One physical object and two digital scans. There are also scans of one hymnal book.
Original is a 5"x3 1/4" inch bible from 1844 with handwritten notes
The bible was published in 1852 by E.T. Day, and contains a foreword. The family record section has handwritten notes, the last name "Dunlop" appears several times.
Cary Family Bible is a scanned copy of the covers and pages with family records and genealogy. The Bible was passed down to Alvene Patterson Conyers.
King's Message hymnal book containing church programs and patron names from around 1978-1981
Seven pages found tucked within the 1852 Bible. Two of the loose pages are titled "Family Record", and have handwritten notes under the headings of "Marriages," "Births," and "Deaths." The other five loose pages are from Matthew, chapter ten through eighteen.
Oral history recordings, and three CDs.
Deacon James Baker and Marie Shepard's walking interview, July 11, 1988, followed by the third group history project interview at Ms. Julia Boyce's.
6 DVD-Rs. One is titled "FBC Maps," 4 are labeled "for DHR" likely referring to the Department of Historic Resources, and another labeled "National Register Nomination Materials." The DVD labeled "National Register..." is from the College of William & Mary Center for Archeological Research.
Item are restricted.
A series of architectural drawings and specifications sheets from construction performed for the First Baptist Church in 1956. They are labeled out of a series of 19. These blueprints contain specification (spec) sheets, that provide descritions of building terms, contract expectations, and materials that will be used during construction. There is also a spiral bound booklet of plans for a "Museum Addition and Renovation Proposal" dated June 18th, 2001.
The blueprints are restricted.
A contract for the construction of the First Baptist Church to be located at Scotland Street. Fragile.
A series of architectural drawings and specifications sheets from construction preformed for the First Baptist Church in 1956. Seven of the blueprints are large 2 x 3 feet renderings. They are labeled out of a series of 19, this group includes pages 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 16, and 19. With these blueprints are 6 specification (spec) sheets. The specification sheets provide information for building terms, contract expectations, and materials that will be used during construction.
This is the second half of the set of blueprints from 1954. The pages are numbered from 1 to 19, and this group contains numbers 10, 8, 11, 13, 18, 5, 12, 4, 14, 17, 15.
A 42 page index describing materials and work terms for the construction of the First Baptist Church on Scotland Street in 1954. Restricted.