St. Christoper's Normal and Industrial Parish School
Also known as: First African Baptist Church

Why it's listed
Built in 1916 at 900 5th Avenue in Columbus, Georgia, this two-story brick building began as St. Christopher's Normal and Industrial Parish School, tied to St. Christopher's Episcopal Church. City directories show it carrying both school and church names by 1918. First African Baptist Church, located across the street, later bought the property and converted it into a child care center; it now serves as a church annex. The building has a flat roof, common bond brickwork, round-arched windows with radiating voussoirs, corbelled brick string courses, a stepped parapet, and a one-story entrance porch with a crenelated parapet. It sits among Victorian and Greek Revival houses and commercial buildings from about 1900. Its listing rests on two points: it represents school architecture in the Black community in the early 1900s, with a plain design that suggests limited funds, and it served as an early church-affiliated school for Black residents of Columbus. Its condition is described as fair.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a local example of early 20th-century school architecture in the Black community, with a simple design suggesting functionalism driven by financial necessity. It is also significant for education as an early church-affiliated, apparently private school in Columbus' Black community.
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 80001201, listed September 29, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 900 5th Ave., Columbus |
|---|---|
| County | Muscogee County |
| Listed | September 29, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80001201 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a church annex, formerly a child care center; described as in fair condition. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.46302, -84.98616 (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 80001201.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q15378742
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.