Former First Baptist Church -- Memphis TN - Baptist Churches on Waymarking.com

This state historical marker stands at the corner of Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in South Lauderdale St. in East Memphis. It is a double-sided marker commemorating the gorgeous Georgian revival church building at the location which was built as First Baptist Church in 1909, then became Mount Olive Cathedral C. M. E. Church in 1947, when First Baptist Church sold this building.

The marker reads as follows:

"4E 130

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

The First Baptist Church was designed by architect R. H. Hunt and built in 1906. It is constructed of yellow bricks along a Georgian architectural style. It housed a congregation of 2,200 members which organized the first Sunday School in the Southern Baptist Convention. In 1907, when this building was dedicated, it was considered one of the finest Baptist Church structures in the South.

(Continued on other side)

MT. OLIVE CME CHURCH

(Continued from other side)

Founded in 1848, Mount Olive Cathedral Christian Methodist Episcopal church, an African-American congregation under the leadership of the Rev. W. A. Johnson, purchased this building from First Baptist Church in 1947. In 1950, 2 years before the congregation moved into its new building, the Rev. Johnson died at his funeral was held at the First Baptist Church. Under the guidance of the Rev. Philip E. Brooks, Senior, in 1952, the congregation moved to this location.

Tennessee historical commission"

Date Built: 01/01/1906 Age of Church building determined by?: Cornerstone or plaque Service Times: N/A Website: [Web Link] Church Address: 538 MLK Jr. Drive Memphis, TX

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Date Logged Log User Rating   03/09/2019 Benchmark Blasterz visited it