CNHS - The Sandwich First Baptist Church - Windsor, Ontario, Canada
N 42° 17.510 W 083° 04.806
17T E 328516 N 4684274
Located at Sandwich First Baptist Church at Peter Street in Windsor.
Waymark Code: WM9C0P
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 07/29/2010
Views: 5
The Sandwich First Baptist Church
Erected in 1851 on land donated by the Crown, the Sandwich First Baptist Church represents the once numerous Black border-town churches which were built to serve the rapidly increasing numbers of Underground Railroad settlers. This church received, sheltered, and assisted many of these new arrivals. All members were required to aid in its construction by giving donations or making bricks. A focal point for many local anti-slavery activities, the Sandwich First Baptist Church stands as an important symbol of that struggle.
The Sandwich First Baptist Church National Historic Site
One of the oldest black Baptist churches surviving from the Underground Railroad experience in Canada is the Sandwich First Baptist Church in the present-day city of Windsor. In the early 19 th-century, Sandwich was a popular destination for refugees fleeing across the Detroit River. Here and at nearby Amherstburg, the growing black community maintained its connections with friends and family in the United States. Along with the First Baptist Church in Detroit, they established the Amherstburg Regular Missionary Baptist Association. This organization fought against slavery and assisted the formation of refugee congregations in Canada. The Sandwich First Baptist congregation was established in 1840. By 1851, the community was able to raise this fine brick chapel which continues to serve its community to this day.
Information taken from: Visit website
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