Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church

Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church is a historic African-American Baptist church located in Richmond, Virginia. The church was founded in 1867. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.^[1]

Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Virginia Landmarks Register
Richmond City Historic District
Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1978
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Location	14 W. Duval St., Richmond, Virginia
Coordinates	37°33′2″N 77°26′19″W
Area	4 acres (1.6 ha)
Built	1867 (1867), 1925
Architect	Russell, Charles T.; Boyd, George, et al.
Architectural style	Late Gothic Revival
Website	Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church
NRHP reference No.	96001445[1]
VLR No.	127-0472
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	December 16, 1996
Designated VLR	June 19, 1996[2]

History

background

The sanctuary was started in 1867 by John Jasper.^[3] The church began as a confederate horse stable which was situated on Brown's Island. The church congregation moved to 14 Duval Street in 1869, and in the 1880s a sanctuary was added by George W. Boyd.^[4]

In 1878 Jasper delivered his controversial "De Sun Do Move" (The Sun Do Move) sermon at the church.^[5]

Structure

It is a two-story, Late Gothic Revival style stuccoed brick structure. It features a large off-center tower that houses the church bell in belfry and accommodates a large stairwell to the gallery. Attached to the sanctuary is the two-level Jasper Memorial Education Annex added in 1925.^[6]

Expansion

In 1925,^[7] the church was remodeled and extended by an African American architect named Charles Thaddeus Russell.^[8]

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
3. "The Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church (Richmond, VA) is Founded". aaregistry. African American Registry. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
4. "6th Mount Zion Baptist Church". NPS. U.S. Department of the Interior. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
5. "Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church". Virginia. Virginia Tourism Corporation. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
6. Tyler Potterfield and Benjamin Ross (April 1979). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2014-01-02. and Accompanying photo Archived 2012-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
7. Sinclair, Melissa Scott (14 February 2012). "Beacon on the Hill". Style weekly. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
8. "127-0472 Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on 6 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.