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Image 1 of 1: First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill originated from First Baptist Church, Nashville, founded in 1834 on Broadway. In 1848, black members of the church formed their own congregation, First Colored Baptist Mission. They bought land in 1872 at Spruce, now Eighth Avenue, and Union Streets. In 1896 they moved a few blocks away to 319 Spruce Street. The church moved again in 1972 to its location at 625 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard. Kelly Miller Smith Senior served as pastor from 1951 until his death in 1984. Smith founded the Nashville Christian Leadership Council (NCLC) in 1958 and hosted sit-in training meetings at the church in 1960.
First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill originated from First Baptist Church, Nashville, founded in 1834 on Broadway. In 1848, black members of the church formed their own congregation, First Colored Baptist Mission. They bought land in 1872 at Spruce, now Eighth Avenue, and Union Streets. In 1896 they moved a few blocks away to 319 Spruce Street. The church moved again in 1972 to its location at 625 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard. Kelly Miller Smith Senior served as pastor from 1951 until his death in 1984. Smith founded the Nashville Christian Leadership Council (NCLC) in 1958 and hosted sit-in training meetings at the church in 1960.

First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill originated from First Baptist Church, Nashville, founded in 1834 on Broadway. In 1848, black members of the church formed their own congregation, First Colored Baptist Mission. They bought land in 1872 at Spruce, now Eighth Avenue, and Union Streets. In 1896 they moved a few blocks away to 319 Spruce Street. The church moved again in 1972 to its location at 625 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard. Kelly Miller Smith Senior served as pastor from 1951 until his death in 1984. Smith founded the Nashville Christian Leadership Council (NCLC) in 1958 and hosted sit-in training meetings at the church in 1960.

First Baptist Church Capitol Hill

36.164179, -86.785636

Description

First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill originated from First Baptist Church, Nashville, founded in 1834 on Broadway. In 1848, black members of the church formed their own congregation, First Colored Baptist Mission. They bought land in 1872 at Spruce, now Eighth Avenue, and Union Streets. In 1896 they moved a few blocks away to 319 Spruce Street. The church moved again in 1972 to its location at 625 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard. Kelly Miller Smith Senior served as pastor from 1951 until his death in 1984. Smith founded the Nashville Christian Leadership Council (NCLC) in 1958 and hosted sit-in training meetings at the church in 1960.

Title First Baptist Church Capitol Hill
Creator Nashville Historical Foundation
Author Jessica Reeves, Staff; 2019
Date 1848; 1896; 1972
Address 800 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37203
Type Former Site of Building
Coverage Area 1
Source Pastor Robert Boyte Crawford Howell, founder
Contributor Nashville Christian Leadership Conference; Nelson G. Merry; First Colored Baptist Church; Russell C. Barbour; Rev. Kelly Miller Smith Sr.; Rev. Kelly Miller Smith Jr.
Subject African Americans; Antebellum; Civil Rights; Downtown; New South; Protests; Religion
Keywords American Baptist College, Baptist, Buildings, Churches, Desegregation, Fisk University, Sit-Ins, Students, Tennessee State University, First Baptist Church Capitol Hill
Rights CC BY-NC 4.0