{"nrhp_refnum":"69000348","name":"First African Baptist Church","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"NE corner of College and E. Broad Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Richmond (Independent City)","county":"Richmond (city and county)","state":"VA","lat":37.53862795400005,"lon":-77.42925631699995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1969-04-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick late-Greek Revival church building at the northeast corner of College Street and East Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia, built in 1876.","why_significant":"Built in 1876, it housed one of the oldest Black congregations in Virginia. Its design echoed that of the First Baptist Church at 12th and Broad Streets. It is also noted as an example of late-Greek Revival architecture.","narrative":"Located at the northeast corner of College and East Broad Streets in Richmond, this brick church was built in 1876 for the African Baptist congregation, described as one of the oldest Black congregations in Virginia. It is a temple-form building in the late Greek Revival style, with a portico holding two unfluted Doric columns in antis. Doric pilasters frame recessed panels along the sides, and the entablature combines Roman Corinthian elements such as modillions and dentils, with a frieze of rosettes. Its design echoed that of the First Baptist Church at 12th and Broad Streets. Over time the building changed: the original tall arched windows were filled in and replaced by two levels of rectangular windows, the cupola was removed, and the auditorium was divided into two floors. The Medical College of Virginia bought it in 1955, and it now serves as offices and classrooms. The property covers about one-fifth of an acre.","period_of_significance":"1876","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Late Greek Revival","criteria":[],"status_note":"Sold to the Medical College of Virginia in 1955; now houses offices and classrooms. Condition listed as fair, with alterations including removal of the cupola and division of the interior into two floors.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:56.336962-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/86/6828/41682886/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_VA/69000348.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000348/458fc657e2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000348/458fc657e2-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"Morgan Riley","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VCU_Medical_Center,_Medical_College_of_Virginia_Richmond_VA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Morgan Riley</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:VCU_Medical_Center,_Medical_College_of_Virginia_Richmond_VA.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"71000982","name":"James River and Kanawha Canal Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/virginia/james-river-and-kanawha-canal-historic-district-71000982/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/41682886","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_African_Baptist_Church_(Richmond,_Virginia)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5452255"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/virginia/richmond/first-african-baptist-church-69000348/"}