“Hear ye. Hear ye.” Thomas Jefferson was president. Washington D.C. was a small village. It had only a few thousand people. In July 1801, Baptists met at the U.S. Treasury Building. Let me tell you about the First Baptist Church of Eastport.
In March 1802, six laypeople and four ministers founded the church. They met in a private home. From that time, First Baptist Church has served in the nation’s capital.
The congregation has worshiped God in five buildings. These buildings were on four sites in the District of Columbia. One site is now Ford’s Theater. President Lincoln was assassinated there. In 1890, the congregation moved to its current location. It is at 16th and O Streets, NW. The first worship service in the present sanctuary was on Christmas Day 1955.
In the early 1800s, Luther Rice was a member. He used First Baptist as his home base. He traveled the country. He organized mission support among Baptists. Obadiah Brown was the first pastor. Rice led Baptists in founding Columbian College. It is now George Washington University.
Since 1845, First Baptist has been a link between major national Baptist bodies. FBC partners with several groups. These include the Alliance of Baptists and the Baptist World Alliance. It also partners with American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A.
Let’s look at the timeline of First Baptist Church. In 1801, six Baptists met on July 5. They gathered in the Treasury Building. Rev. Lewis Richards of Baltimore led the preaching service. In 1802, First Baptist Church was founded. Six members founded it on March 7. They met in a private home. Later, a meeting house was built. It was on the corner of 19th and I Streets, NW. This was from 1802 to 1834.
Rev. Obadiah Bruen Brown became the first full-time pastor in 1807. He served until his retirement in 1850. In 1821, Brown built a large house. It was at 814 E Street, NW. He used it as his family home and as a boarding house.
In 1830, African-American members began meeting separately. They rented a school room. They joined the larger congregation for worship. This happened on Communion Sundays. In 1834, a new church building was constructed. It was on 10th and E Streets NW. This was from 1834 to 1859. It was two blocks from Brown’s house. Many African-American members stayed at the 19th and I Street location.
In 1838, 32 African-American members asked to separate from First Baptist. Thirty African-American members opposed this. First Baptist voted to allow separation. However, they kept ownership of the 19th Street property. This was until 1875.
In 1839, Nineteenth Street Church became the First Colored Baptist Church. This happened on August 29. It was the first Black Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.
In 1859, First Baptist Church moved to a new building. It was on 13th Street. It was between G and H Streets. This lasted from 1859 to 1890. It merged with Fourth Baptist. The Government used it as a temporary hospital for a year. First Baptist shared facilities with New York Avenue Presbyterian Church. The congregations often worshiped together.
In 1861, the 10th Street building was sold to John Ford. It became “Ford’s Theater”. A fire destroyed the building in 1862. It was rebuilt in 1863.
First Baptist Church moved to 16th and O Streets NW in 1890. This lasted from 1890 to 1953. It was one mile north of the White House. The building was torn down in 1953. During construction, services were held at the Jewish Community Center. This was then at 16th and Q.
In 1955, First Baptist Church occupied its present sanctuary. It was built on the site of the former building. This is at 16th and O Streets. The first services were held on Christmas Day, 1955.
First Baptist Church has a rich history. It has been in five buildings and four locations. It started in 1802 at 19th and Eye Streets, NW. From 1834 to 1859, it was at 10th and E Streets, NW. From 1859 to 1890, it was on 13th Street between G and H Streets. From 1890 to 1953, it was at 16th and O Streets, NW. Since 1955, it has been at 16th and O Streets, NW.
Today, First Baptist continues to worship. It stands on the corner of Sixteenth and O Streets N.W. It exemplifies a complicated relationship between religion and history. It highlights the experiences of people who sought to practice their religion.