Springfield Baptist Church
Also known as: See Also:Springfield Baptist Church (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
Built in 1801 for Augusta's first Methodist Society, this timber-frame church is the oldest surviving church building in the city and among the oldest in Georgia. It was originally located on Greene Street. In 1844 the Methodists built a new brick church and sold the wooden one to the Springfield Baptist Church, which moved it to Twelfth and Reynolds streets. In 1910 it was shifted to the rear of the lot to make room for a brick sanctuary, and it now serves as an auxiliary building. The building follows the plain meetinghouse plan, with an assembly hall and balconies, hand-planed wainscoting and plaster over hand-split lath. It was enlarged in the 1820s and remodeled around mid-century. Its congregation, independent since 1787, is among the oldest black congregations in the country. The church helped found other black institutions, including Cedar Grove Cemetery and what became Morehouse College, and it supported the community's transition from slavery to citizenship.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the oldest extant church building in Augusta and one of the oldest in Georgia. It is a relatively rare example of the non-liturgical "New England meetinghouse" type in the state. Since 1844 it has housed the Springfield Baptist Church, one of the oldest independent black congregations in the United States, a major black cultural institution in Augusta.
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 82002461, listed June 17, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 112 12th St., Augusta |
|---|---|
| County | Richmond County |
| Listed | June 17, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82002461 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Non-liturgical "New England meetinghouse" type church |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in fair, altered condition; since 1910 it has served as an auxiliary building with offices, meeting rooms and activity centers. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Within district | Augusta Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 33.47877, -81.97162 (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 82002461.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7580936
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.