{"nrhp_refnum":"01001518","name":"First Baptist Church of Covington, Virginia","other_names":["First Baptist Church","VDHR file no. 107-0039"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"337 S. Lexington Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Covington (Independent City)","county":"Covington","state":"VA","lat":37.78663283100008,"lon":-79.99313106499994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2002-01-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Black"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-building church complex at 337 South Lexington Avenue in Covington, Virginia, consisting of a 1911 brick church, a ca. 1890 frame church on South Maple Avenue, and a 1966 parsonage.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the church is significant under Criterion A in the area of Black ethnic heritage, for its long role in Covington's African American community. The congregation, organized in 1870, was historically the city's largest African American congregation. The 1911 sanctuary was built by the African American firm James R. Hunter & Sons. The ca. 1890 church is the congregation's earliest surviving building.","narrative":"Three closely sited buildings in Covington's historic African American neighborhood make up this church property: a brick sanctuary of 1911 at 337 South Lexington Avenue, an earlier frame church of about 1890 on South Maple Avenue, and a 1966 parsonage. The 1911 building combines Gothic and Colonial Revival elements, including a corner belfry tower, lancet-arched stained-glass windows and a 1955 education wing. It was built by James R. Hunter & Sons, an African American construction firm based in Covington, for $13,240. The older church is a four-bay frame building with an original gallery and a 1952 stage; it is now vacant and deteriorating. The congregation was organized in 1870 and became the city's largest African American congregation. The church served religious needs and offered social outreach, and it appears to have encouraged development of the surrounding South Lexington Avenue neighborhood. Its significance is local, and the period of significance runs from about 1890 to 1951.","period_of_significance":"Ca. 1890-1951","architect_builder":"James R. Hunter & Sons (builder)","architectural_style":"Gothic; Colonial Revival; Modern Movement","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"The 1911 church is in use by the congregation with good integrity. The ca. 1890 church is vacant, in disrepair and threatened by neglect, with roof holes and pigeon infestation; the congregation is considering repairs.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:00.464092-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/73/6802/41680273/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/01001518.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01001518/581cd372d2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/01001518/581cd372d2-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Covington_First_Baptist_Church.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Covington_First_Baptist_Church.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41680273","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Baptist_Church_(Covington,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5452460"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/covington/first-baptist-church-of-covington-virginia-01001518/"}