The First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, one of the nation’s oldest Black churches, began its reconstruction with a ceremonial groundbreaking on Juneteenth. Established in 1776, the congregation initially met outdoors in secret before erecting a wooden meetinghouse around 1805 using recycled bricks.
The 16-by-32-foot (5×10-meter) church will be rebuilt on its original foundations, honoring its legacy and highlighting that “Black history is American history,” said Pastor Reginald F. Davis. The reconstruction aims to pair the church’s rich oral history with a tangible site, reinforcing the significance of Black Americans in the nation’s story.
The original church was destroyed by a tornado in 1834. Its 1856 successor stood for a century before Colonial Williamsburg acquired the property in 1956, later converting it into a parking lot. Today’s project will restore the church as a historic and educational landmark, reconnecting the site with its roots and preserving it for future generations.
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