Archaeologists announced that they found the brick foundation of the First Baptist Church – one of the oldest Black churches in the country – as its descendant community celebrates its 245th anniversary this weekend.
According to Colonial Williamsburg, the outdoor living museum in Virginia where the discovery was made, the foundation is part of the church’s first permanent structure and dates back to the early 1800s. Colonial Williamsburg’s Director of Archaeology Jack Gary and his team have worked on excavating at the S. Nassau Street site for around a year to search for the church, said the Virginia Gazette.
When they found what they thought was the 16 by 20-ft. foundation of the church “sandwiched between walls of an 1856 building,” the team also uncovered an 1817 coin, hairpins, buttons and furniture tacks. These finds indicate that the foundation is indeed from the old church.
“Never in our wildest imagination did we think that we would find intact burials or even the foundation of an 1818 structure. That is just mind-blowing,” said Connie Harshaw of the Let Freedom Ring Foundation, an organization that supports preservation and conservation of Williamsburg’s historic Black churches. “It’s a pretty remarkable discovery.”
Members of the First Baptist Church congregation first gathered in 1776, said the Virginia Gazette. They included both free and enslaved Black men and women who had to meet in secret. Its wasn’t until the 1800s, when a Williamsburg man named Jesse Cole offered them the Nassau street building, that they had a permanent place to worship. Cole was so moved by congregation’s hymns and prayer that he offered them the property, which was referred to as the Baptist Meeting House.
It is unclear when the original church structure was built. A tornado eventually destroyed it and a new structure went up in 1856. After 100 years, that building was razed and replaced with a parking lot, said the Associated Press.
Harshaw said many congregants were hurt when the church came down.
While the First Baptist church now has a new home in Williamsburg, Pastor Reginald F. Davis said the uncovering of his church’s first home is “a rediscovery of the humanity of a people.”
According to the Associated Press, Colonial Williamsburg ignored its Black history for decades. Since the 1920s, work has been done to preserve historic buildings that are part of the museum, including the Governor’s Palace. In recent years, the museum has incorporated more history about Black colonial residents and Native Americans.
“This helps to erase the historical and social amnesia that has afflicted this country for so many years,” Davis said.
Eventually, Colonial Williamsburg and the congregation plan to rebuild the church.
In addition to the church foundation, 25 graves have been found at the excavation site. Gary said some appear to predate the building of the second church in 1856 and that some congregants are interested in analyzing the remains to find familial connections.
“The fact that the church still exists — that it’s still thriving — that story needs to be told,” said Jody Lynn Allen, a history professor at the nearby College of William & Mary and member of the Let Freedom Ring board, said. “People need to understand that there was a great resilience in the African American community.”
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