Saint Augustine Church, Washington, DC

“Saint Augustine Parish traces its heritage to 1858 and the efforts of a group of dedicated emancipated Black Catholics.  Faced with a society that was not yet willing to put off the last vestiges of slavery and a Church that, at best, tolerated the presence of Black people in its congregation, these men and women founded a Catholic school and chapel on 15th Street under the patronage of Blessed Martin de Porres. ,,,, After operations were briefly interrupted by the Civil War, a new church was built and dedicated to Saint Augustine in 1876. From its beginning, Saint Augustine was the parish of Black Catholics in Washington, DC.”

Click here for the complete entry about the church’s history.

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Civil War Churches in Hampton, Virginia

First Baptist Church of Hampton — Founded in 1863

Several Black churches were established in Hampton during the Civil War era: First Baptist Church (1863), Zion Baptist Church (1863), Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church (1864), and Queen Street Baptist Church (1865).

Robert F. Engs. Freedom’s First Generation: Black Hampton, Virginia, 1861-1890. New York: Fordham University Press, 2004

Colita Nichols Fairfax. Hampton, Virginia. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2005

Cassandra L. Newby-Alexander. An African American History of the Civil War in Hampton Roads. Charleston: The History Press, 2010

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Zion Baptist Church, Portsmouth, Virginia

“Zion Baptist Church, among the oldest of the African-American congregations in Portsmouth, was organized in 1865, some two years after the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves was signed by President Lincoln. The original pioneers, numbering 318, having known a basement form of worship, were amicably granted a letter of separation from the White mother church, Court Street Baptist.”
— Zion Baptist Church, “Church History,” accessed September 13, 2021

Court Street Baptist Church was founded in 1789, burned down and was rebuilt in 1901. Two photographs accompany Virginia Historical Inventory survey report: VHIR/19/0219 which has been digitized and is available at the Library of Virginia.

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African American Churches in Southampton County, Virginia

This photograph of Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church (2015) was contributed to FindAGrave.com by a person who goes by ‘AGraveStory.’

“[Shiloh Baptist Church] was organized in 1865, during the last tumultuous year of the Civil War by a small group of ex-slaves. They started worshipping God in a log cabin called Bethel near Cross Keys…. Eventually Bethel was moved to its present location at 30188 Shiloh Road and renamed Shiloh Baptist Church….Shiloh has birthed many pastors, preachers, teachers, deacons, clerks and trustees and helped grow five branches — Bryants, Odom Chapel, Zoar, Galilee and New Bethel Baptist churches.”

The complete article by Rev. Dr. William A. Scott is online at “Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church helped grow other congregations,” The Tidewater News, 16 February 2013 (blog) accessed 22 November 2020.

There’s more information about Shiloh Baptist Church on FindAGrave.com. A person called ‘AGraveStory’ contributed this photograph in 2015. The image features the older part of the building and a brief note explains that there are cemetery sections behind the church and across the road in front of the church.
The post is on Find A Grave at https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2139288/shiloh-missionary-baptist-church-cemetery, accessed November 22, 2020.

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African American Churches in Accomack County, Virginia

Shiloh Baptist Church, the oldest African American Baptist church in Accomack County, is the mother church of three other congregations.

“Shiloh Baptist Church is the oldest African American Baptist Church in Accomack County. Founded in 1875, the congregation of Shiloh Baptist Church grew out of the “Colored Membership” of the Hollies Baptist Church in Keller, VA.

“The first church edifice was constructed in 1875, and, after twice being destroyed by fire, the second edifice was rebuilt in 1904. The current church building was completed in 1907, and a Building Fund drive is currently under way to raise money for a new church home.

“Under the leadership of thirteen pastors over a period of 131 years, Shiloh Baptist Church has grown and flourished, adding new souls to the congregation every year. Shiloh Baptist Church birthed three other congregations: the New Mount Zion Baptist Church of Painter, Virginia in 1881, the Holy Trinity Baptist Church of Pungoteague, Virginia in 1905 and the Ebenezer Baptist Church of Wardtown, Virginia in 1909.”

The complete article is online at Shiloh Baptist Church, Accomack County, Virginia ( http://shilohbaptistva.org/our-family/ ) accessed October 26, 2020.

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