Title	St. Peter Primitive Baptist Church: front view
Creator(s)	West, Carroll Van, photographer
Date	2003
Coverage	2000-2009
Property name	St. Peter Primitive Baptist Church
Property type	Church
Community Name	Bessemer, Jefferson County, AL
Description	Black and white photograph of the front of the church, taken from directly in front on 4th Ave. The image shows the symmetrical arrangement of two broad stairways leading to double-door entries on the second floor with the dissimilar towers to either side. Two smaller entry doors are on the first floor. The shallow hipped roof is visible. Two rows of four slag-glass windows line the space between the towers.
Historical Notes	The congregation of St. Peter Primitive Baptist Church formed in 1903 and constructed its first building in 1911 at the same location as the present church. By 1943 the congregation had outgrown the original building, which was demolished to allow construction of a brick church of mid-twentieth century Gothic Revival design, creating one of the largest gathering places for African Americans in Bessemer. The expansive new sanctuary allowed the church to have an important role in the development of a capella gospel singing in the Birmingham-Bessemer area. Most notably, the Sterling Jubilee Singers are closely associated with the church . Rev. William A. Clark, who served as pastor until 1962, led the effort to construct a new church, encouraged the use of the church for gospel programs, and was a supporter of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR). The church was among the first to host critical meetings of ACMHR in the years 1956-58.
Collection Name	African American Churches
Subject-LCSH	African American Churches -- Tennessee Church buildings -- Alabama
Subject-TGM	Churches
Type	Still image
Genre	Photograph
Extent	5 x 7 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

St. Peter Primitive Baptist Church: front view

Description