603 North Augusta Street
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Last updated on November 21, 2024
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In 2016, the Mt. Zion Baptist Church celebrated 150 years of history as the second-oldest African-American church in Staunton. Before their own place of worship, African American Baptists in Staunton worshipped at the city’s white Baptist church beginning during enslavement. The first service for African American Baptists in Staunton occurred in 1853 by a white pastor. In 1868, the first deacon board of African American worshippers was deeded a lot of land. The property was conveyed for the use and benefit of the African Baptist congregation. An African Baptist congregation was organized that year and later known as Mt. Zion Baptist Church. The church's first location was a log cabin on East Frederick Street. Two years later, in 1870, the congregation moved to the corner of Baptist and Sunnyside streets. In 1878, some church members split off and formed Ebenezer Baptist Church. The current church's construction began in 1904 and was completed in 1905. The Mt. Zion Baptist Church remains active today and a co-owner of the historic black Fairview Cemetery.
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