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First Baptist Church, Lauderdale: historical notes

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Title	First Baptist Church, Lauderdale: historical notes
Creator(s)	Lake, Ella Moore; Murphy, Dennis
Date	2000?
Coverage	2000-2009
Property name	First Baptist Church
Property type	Church
National Register Reference	00000807 Listed July 14, 2000
Community Name	Memphis, Shelby County, TN
Description	Handwritten notes on the history of the church, including organizations, congregation, ministers, and political activities; mentioned: Progressives, Progress Baptist Convention for Martin Luther King, MIFA, Boy and Girl Scouts, Ladies Aid, 20th Century Club, Semperlabortans Club, Crusaders Club, 21st Century Club.
Historical Notes	First Baptist Church, Lauderdale is one of the most significant African American churches in Memphis and is associated with the early twentieth century African-American religious, education, and political leader, the Reverend Thomas Oscar Fuller. The earliest beginnings of the church trace back to 1854, when Morris Henderson, then a slave, ministered to a small group in the basement of the white First Baptist Church at Beale and Main Streets. Henderson purchased a lot on Beale Street in 1865 and chartered the church as the First Colored Baptist Church. A large brick church building of Gothic design was constructed 1869. A schism in the congregation in the 1890's led to a split that resulted in relocation of First Colored Baptist Church to the nearby Zion Hall while the original building was re-chartered as Beale Street Baptist Church. In 1906 Rev. Thomas O. Fuller again moved the congregation to St. Paul Ave., and led them toward more activism related to the political and social life of the city. The current church on Lauderdale Ave. was built in 1939 after the church and the adjacent Howe Institute on St. Paul Ave. were demolished to make way for public housing. The church name was changed to Fist Baptist Church, Lauderdale in 1954. The Church was actively engaged with Civil Rights activities in Memphis in the 1950s and 1960s. Rev. Benjamin Hooks was an influential member of the congregation.
Collection Name	African American Churches
Subject-LCSH	Churches -- Tennessee
Subject-TGM	Churches
Type	Text
Genre	History
Medium	Paper
Extent	8.5 x 11 in.
Copyright status	Copyright of the creator. Reproduced with permission
Contributing Institution	Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University
Conditions for use	Credit Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University Reproduction permitted for non-profit educational and research purposes only
Digital Publisher	Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University

First Baptist Church, Lauderdale: historical notes

1stBaptist00015 1

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First Baptist Church, Lauderdale: historical notes

First Baptist Church, Lauderdale: historical notes