Mount Zion Baptist Church (Charlottesville, Virginia)

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Mount Zion Baptist Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Location:	105 Ridge St. Charlottesville, Virginia
Architectural style(s):	Classical Revival; Italianate
Added to NRHP:	October 15, 1992
NRHP Reference#:	92001388

Rich in cultural history, the Mount Zion Baptist Church has seen more than just prayer. A social and political hub for African-Americans, it has seen the turbulent times of Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, and Urban Renewal. The congregation is still in place today, and the church remains a pillar of strength and pride in the black community.

Although the current Mount Zion Baptist Church has only been in existence since 1884, the roots of the church of much deeper. The church began with a petition in 1864 to separate from the segregated white Baptist church, and the congregation was officially organized in 1867. Initially taking residence in the house of Samuel White, the congregation soon grew too large for the house, and in 1875 built a wooden church in the lot next door. In 1884, they finished the current, brick church that still stands today. The church was designed by George Wallace Spooner, who also helped rebuild the Rotunda at the University of Virginia.