First African Baptist Church
Why it's listed
First African Baptist Church, at 901 5th Avenue in Columbus, Georgia, is a two-story brick sanctuary completed in 1915 at a cost of $75,000. It was the congregation's fourth sanctuary. The congregation began in the early 1840s as an outgrowth of Columbus' First Baptist Church and was first called The African Baptist Church. The building is a simple Gothic Revival design with a rectangular plan, a rear apse and a gable roof. Two square towers of three and four stories flank a porch with three recessed entrances. Pointed-arch openings, stained glass windows, crenelated tower parapets and corbelled brick corners that imitate quoins provide the limited ornament. A classroom wing was added to the north around 1950. A small formal garden with a cast iron crane fountain lies to the north, amid Victorian and Greek Revival houses. The church is valued for its restrained Gothic design, which reflects architectural trends in the Black community in the early twentieth century, and for housing the oldest Black congregation in Columbus.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites architectural and religious significance at the local level. The church is a simple form of Gothic architecture that suggests early 20th century trends in Black community architecture. It also houses the oldest Black congregation in Columbus, an offspring of the city's First Baptist Church.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80001165, listed September 29, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 901 5th Ave., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Muscogee County |
| Listed | September 29, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001165 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a church; the north garden is described as in good condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.46302, -84.98648 (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 80001165.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5452252
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.