First Baptist Church
Also known as: First Baptist Church (former)
Why it's listed
Built in 1918 on the southeast corner of South Scales and Williams streets in Reidsville, this solid masonry church is a late Gothic Revival building of common bond brick set on a raised foundation with a basement. Its three-bay facade has a central gabled bay with a three-part tracery stained glass window, flanked by crenellated towers of unequal height. Side elevations carry stained glass windows in round-arched openings, and the rear gable has a rose window, though ghost marks show it was once set higher. The interior has an open truss ceiling carried on large square posts, an ogee arch framing the choir loft and baptistry, and beaded wainscoting beneath plaster walls. The building was the home of the first separate black church in Reidsville, organized by 1874 by members of the Reidsville Baptist Church. The congregation grew steadily through the 20th century and moved to a new facility in 1975. Nearby commercial development has put pressure on the site.
Significance in brief: The building is listed as the former home of the first separate black Baptist church in Reidsville, a congregation that grew steadily through much of the 20th century. It is also presented as a relatively intact example of early 20th century Gothic Revival church architecture in a small town setting. Its association with the post-Civil War movement to establish separate black churches is cited as a basis for 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 86003386, listed December 11, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 401 S. Scales St., Reidsville |
|---|---|
| County | Rockingham County |
| Listed | December 11, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86003386 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1918 |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Formerly housed the congregation, which moved in 1975; the building was later used again by a religious group after standing vacant for a number of years. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Reidsville Historic District |
| Coordinates | 36.35738, -79.66421 (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 86003386.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5452428
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.