National Register of Historic Places

First Congregational Church

Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia
Listed
January 19, 1979
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
79000720

About this property

First Congregational Church (First Church; United Church of Christ) is a United Church of Christ church located in downtown Atlanta at the corner of Courtland Street and John Wesley Dobbs Avenue (formerly Houston Street).The church has had many prominent members over the years including Alonzo Herndon and Andrew Young. First Congregational Church welcomes people from all racial and economic backgrounds and has a prominent music ministry. The current senior minister, Dr. Reverend Dwight Andrews, is also a professor of music at Emory University. The church is the second-oldest African-American Congregational Church in the United States. The American Missionary Association (AMA) established the Storrs School in Atlanta. The school served as a center for social services, education, and worship for newly freed blacks. Worshipers at the school's services petitioned for a church of their own. As a result, in May 1867 a Congregational Church was organized, and the AMA donated the land. The church's first service was held on May 26, 1867, and its first ten members included Reverend and Mrs. Frederick Ayer and Atlanta University's first president Edmund Asa Ware. The church was never formally segregated but had become mostly black by 1892. The current building is the second church, built on the site of the original one in 1908.

Location

105 Courtland St., NE
Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia
33.75751, -84.38365

Categories

ARCHITECTURERELIGIONSOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about First Congregational Church

This page lists First Congregational Church. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your First Congregational Church report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Freeman Ford Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Atlanta and West Point Railroad Freight Depot
Industrial
0.1 mi
Southern Bell Telephone Company Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Coca-Cola Building Annex
Industrial
0.2 mi
Degive's Grand Opera House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Atlanta Siege Operations
1864Civil War
0.6 mi
Burning of Atlanta
1864Civil War
0.6 mi
Siege of Atlanta
1864Civil War
0.6 mi
Siege of Atlanta - Shelling of the City
1864Civil War
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was First Congregational Church listed on the National Register?

First Congregational Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 19, 1979.

What type of historic resource is First Congregational Church?

First Congregational Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for First Congregational Church?

The period of significance for First Congregational Church is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near First Congregational Church?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near First Congregational Church will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Fulton County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Fulton County.

Explore FultonCounty ›

More historic places in Georgia

Browse all historic places in Georgia.

View Georgiahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Georgia history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Georgiahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near First Congregational Church will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report