Williamsburg rededicates reconstructed meeting house of one of oldest Black churches in US
In short
Hundreds of residents gathered in Williamsburg, Virginia, on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, for a community-wide re-dedication of the reconstructed African Baptist Meeting House of the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg. The church was established in 1776 by enslaved and free African Americans in defiance of laws that prevented them from congregating. Its building was later turned into a parking lot by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and has been reconstructed after archaeologists uncovered its original foundation in 2021.
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Hundreds of residents gathered in Williamsburg, Virginia, on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, for a community-wide re-dedication of the original First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, celebrating the reconstruction of one of the nation's oldest Black churches, The Associated Press reported. Congregants once gathered in secret before building a meeting house there. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
The church was established in 1776 by enslaved and free African Americans in defiance of laws that prevented them from congregating. In 1805 its original parishioners built the church house, known as the African Baptist Meeting House, with recycled bricks and materials they scrounged. A tornado destroyed the church in 1834, and it was rebuilt in 1856. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
A century later the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a living history museum, turned the site into a parking lot because the church did not match the 18th century aesthetic of the town at the time. The 16-foot by 32-foot church has since been reconstructed, after archaeologists in 2021 uncovered its original foundation and 62 graves linked to the congregation. [ 2 , 4 ]
"What this day means and shows is that Black history is American history, and we're an example for the rest of the nation," Reginald F. Davis, pastor of First Baptist, told the AP. "A church that has a history that was during the signing of the Declaration of Independence, you cannot erase us out of American history because we have been at the outset and formulation of the nation," he said. Davis leads the current 215-member congregation in a 20th century church on Scotland Street, less than a mile from the original site. [ 2 , 4 ]
For decades Colonial Williamsburg did not tell the story of the church's history as a pioneer of Black American faith traditions, according to the report. More than half of the 2,000 people who lived in Williamsburg in the 18th century were Black, with few of them free. In recent years the museum has resuscitated the church's traditions, starting with Friday's celebration, which the report described as the building's 250th anniversary. [ 2 ]
AP photographs of the ceremony showed people lining up to enter and walking through the reconstructed meeting house, people drumming, and Joe Feaster, a part-time historical interpreter who portrays pastor Gowan Pamphlet, stepping out of the building. Davis was photographed alongside the burial ground just outside the meeting house. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The Associated Press describes the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg as one of the nation's oldest Black churches. Pastor Reginald F. Davis said the day shows that "Black history is American history." According to the report, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which for decades did not tell the church's story, has in recent years begun reviving the church's traditions.
Key facts
- Hundreds of residents gathered on Friday for a community-wide re-dedication of the reconstructed First Baptist Church of Williamsburg meeting house. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- The church was established in 1776 by enslaved and free African Americans in defiance of laws that prevented them from congregating. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- In 1805 parishioners built the African Baptist Meeting House with recycled bricks and materials they scrounged. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- A tornado destroyed the church in 1834; it was rebuilt in 1856. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- A century later the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation turned the site into a parking lot because the building did not match the town's 18th century aesthetic at the time. [ 2 , 4 ]
- In 2021 archaeologists uncovered the church's original foundation and 62 graves linked to the congregation. [ 2 , 4 ]
- The reconstructed church measures 16 feet by 32 feet. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Pastor Reginald F. Davis leads a current congregation of 215 members in a 20th century church on Scotland Street, less than a mile from the original site. [ 2 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Nothing is confirmed by two independent outlets yet.
Still unclear
- When the reconstruction began, how long it took and who paid for it. The documents do not say.
- Whether the reconstructed building will be used for regular worship by the current congregation. The documents do not say how the building will be used.
- Friday's celebration was described as the building's 250th anniversary. Only one outlet's text states this, and the church was founded in 1776 while the meeting house was built in 1805.
- The reconstructed meeting house of the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg was rededicated on Friday before hundreds of residents. Reported by a single source so far
- The church was established in 1776 by enslaved and free African Americans. Reported by a single source so far
- The original foundation and 62 graves linked to the congregation were uncovered by archaeologists in 2021. Reported by a single source so far
- Pastor Reginald F. Davis told The Associated Press that "Black history is American history." Reported by a single source so far