First African Baptist Church is the oldest Black congregation in Columbus. In 1840, after 11 years of worshiping with White congregants of Ephesus Baptist Church, enslaved members, along with free people of color, formed the African Baptist Church.

They first met in the former home of Ephesus Baptist, built in 1830 and vacated for a larger sanctuary. White ministers would serve the African Baptist Church until the early 1860s. In 1862, a gift to the African Baptist Church from Ephesus allowed construction of a new chapel. The first Black minister was Rev. Harry Watson.

A fire claimed the new church in the 1870s and a brick structure replaced it in 1881. The new church was located at 6th Avenue and 11th Street and the name was changed to Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. In the 1880s and 1890s, discord among members led to the formation of Metropolitan Baptist Church and Friendship Baptist Church.

The present church was built in 1915, during the pastorate of Rev. J. H. Carter. It grew from the membership of earlier and disparate congregations and was christened First African Baptist Church. In one form or another, it has served the Black community of Columbus for the better part of two centuries. The “Mother of the Blues”, Gertrude Pridgett (later known as Ma Rainey) was baptized at First African Baptist.

National Register of Historic Places