{"nrhp_refnum":"06000757","name":"First Baptist Church-Lexington","other_names":["VDHR file no. 117-0027-0063"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"103 N. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lexington (Independent City)","county":"Lexington","state":"VA","lat":37.78603079000004,"lon":-79.44065435099998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2006-08-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Black","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A large Gothic Revival brick church at 103 North Main Street in Lexington, Virginia, built 1894-96 on a limestone basement, with two front towers and a spire on the taller one.","why_significant":"The church was built by Black masons and carpenters to a design by architect E. N. Bogher for a congregation organized in 1867 as Lexington African Baptist Church. It is argued to be significant for Ethnic Heritage (Black) and Architecture because it played a central role in Lexington's African American community and its towers are defining features of the town skyline.","narrative":"First Baptist Church in Lexington, Virginia, is a Gothic Revival brick church with limestone basement walls, built between 1894 and 1896 at 103 North Main Street. Two front towers frame a gabled facade with a rose window, and the taller tower carries a belfry and a metal-sheathed spire. Inside, a barrel-vaulted auditorium has a gallery on turned posts, and the basement holds classrooms and meeting rooms. The congregation began in 1867 as Lexington African Baptist Church, formed by Black members who left Lexington Baptist Church. Black masons and carpenters erected the building to a design by architect E. N. Bogher, with Richard Jones as carpenter. The construction debt was paid off by 1905, marked by a mortgage burning that drew a very large crowd. The church is recognized for its architecture and for its central role in the city's African American community between 1896 and 1956. It remains in religious use and keeps a high level of integrity.","period_of_significance":"1896-1956","architect_builder":"E. N. Bogher (architect); Richard Jones (carpenter); Irk Poindexter (mason); the Moores of Amherst (masons); Carl Barckhoff (organ manufacturer)","architectural_style":"Gothic Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still used as a church; the form says it retains excellent integrity from the period of significance.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:02.719678-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/16/6815/41681516/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/06000757.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000757/27cabaacc6-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000757/27cabaacc6-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lexington_First_Baptist_Church.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lexington_First_Baptist_Church.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"72001506","name":"Lexington Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/lexington-historic-district-72001506/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41681516","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Baptist_Church_(Lexington,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16836909"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/lexington/first-baptist-church-lexington-06000757/"}