First Baptist Church
National Register of Historic Places

First Baptist Church

Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee
Listed
March 8, 1997
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
97000223

About this property

First Baptist Church is a historic church located in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. The congregation was organized in 1843 by James and John Moses. After its first baptismal service in nearby First Creek, the church had 46 members, including 20 African-Americans. The church organized its first Sunday School in 1845. The first building was constructed on Gay Street in 1844. The second building was built at the same location in 1887. The third (and present) building was completed in 1923 at the Main Street location, three years after Dr. Frederick Fernando Brown became pastor. A four-manual Hook & Hastings organ was installed, featuring an echo organ located in the tower played from a separate keyboard. This architecturally-significant structure, noteworthy for its Neoclassical design and octagonal sanctuary, was designed by Dougherty & Gardner of Nashville, Tennessee, and is modeled on St Martin-in-the-Fields of London. The exterior of the church sanctuary is sheathed in marble, although the adjoining education space is brick. The congregation is moderate, and is member of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, a mainline denomination in the South.

Location

510 Main Ave.
Knoxville, Knox County, Tennessee
35.96035, -83.91861

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Knoxville Post Office
Industrial
0.1 mi
Medical Arts Building
Modern
0.1 mi
Park, James, House (Additional Documentation)
Industrial
0.1 mi
Knox County Courthouse (Additional Documentation)
Industrial
0.1 mi
Church Street Methodist Church
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Cavett's Station 1793
1793Early Republic
1.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was First Baptist Church listed on the National Register?

First Baptist Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 8, 1997.

What type of historic resource is First Baptist Church?

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

What is the period of significance for First Baptist Church?

The period of significance for First Baptist Church is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near First Baptist Church?

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