First Missionary Baptist Church
Why it's listed
Brick sanctuary on Cypress Street in New Bern, completed in 1906 and finished by 1908, after the congregation's earlier building was destroyed by fire in March 1905. The church, founded in 1869 as Cedar Grove Baptist Church, changed its name to First Baptist Church in 1906 and later to First Missionary Baptist Church. Its pastor, Rev. A.L.E. Weeks, led a school called the New Bern Industrial and Collegiate Institute next door, which enrolled about three hundred students in the early 1900s and closed in 1912. The church hosted Booker T. Washington in 1907 and sheltered fire victims in its basement after the Great Fire of 1922 destroyed much of the city's African American section. Its choir gained regional fame in the 1910s and 1920s. In the 1960s the basement housed one of New Bern's first day care centers, which admitted both Black and white children. The building is regarded as central to the history of New Bern's Black Baptist community. It has been closed while restoration funds are raised.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the church as one of the oldest Black Baptist congregations in New Bern and as a center of education, community life and the Baptist association's early development. It also notes the church's role under Rev. A.L.E. Weeks, its adjoining school, and its use as shelter after the Great Fire of 1922. The architectural argument was withdrawn by amendment, so the listing rests on religious and ethnic heritage significance.
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 97000574, listed June 30, 1997. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 819 Cypress St., New Bern |
|---|---|
| County | Craven County |
| Listed | June 30, 1997 |
| Reference number | 97000574 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1906-1947 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The church has been closed while the congregation raises funds for restoration. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | New Bern Historic District (Boundary Increase II) |
| Coordinates | 35.11447, -77.04722 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 97000574.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5453348
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.