First African Baptist Church
Why it's listed
This brick church at 901 5th Avenue was built in 1915 for a Baptist congregation at a cost of $75,000, after the members had worshipped in three earlier sanctuaries. The building is Gothic Revival in style, with a rectangular plan, an apse at the rear, and a gable roof. Two square towers of unequal height, three and four stories, flank a porch with three recessed entrances. Pointed-arch openings, stained glass windows, crenelated parapets and corbelled brick corners simulating quoins provide its limited ornament. A classroom wing was added to the north around 1950. The congregation formed in the early 1840s as an outgrowth of the city's First Baptist Church and was first called The African Baptist Church. The survey form describes it as the oldest black congregation in the city and sees the building as reflecting early twentieth century architectural trends within the black community. It still serves as a church.
Significance in brief: The form cites architectural and religious significance at the local level. The church is a simple example of Gothic architecture that reflects early 20th century trends in the black community. The congregation, an offspring of the First Baptist Church, is described as the oldest black congregation in Columbus.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF). NRHP reference 100004299, listed August 16, 2019. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 405 Telfair St., Dublin |
|---|---|
| County | Laurens County |
| Listed | August 16, 2019 |
| Reference number | 100004299 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Black, Ethnic Heritage |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current use is as a church; a c. 1950 classroom wing was added to the north. The grounds are described as in good condition. |
| Acreage | 2.39 |
| Within district | Stubbs Park-Stonewall Street Historic District |
| Coordinates | 32.53546, -82.90710 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 100004299.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives)
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.