Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

First Baptist Church (Petersburg, Va.) Minute Book, 1914. Local government records collection, Petersburg Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000.

Acquisition Information

This collection came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of records from Petersburg.

Historical Information

Petersburg was formed from parts of Dinwiddie, Prince George, and Chesterfield Counties. A garrison and fur-trading post called Fort Henry was established there in 1645 on the site of the Indian village Appamattuck. The present name, suggested in 1733 by William Byrd II, honors Peter Jones, Byrd's companion on expeditions into the Virginia backcountry. Petersburg was established in 1748 and incorporated as a town in 1784. It was incorporated as a city in 1850. Petersburg was enlarged by annexation from both Prince George and Dinwiddie Counties in 1972.

First Baptist Church (Petersburg, Va.) was founded in 1756 in Prince George County and organized in 1774 as First African Baptist Church. Later, the organization moved to Petersburg and a house of worship was built on Harrison Street.

First Baptist Church (Petersburg, Va.) Baptism Register and Membership Directory was used as an exhibit in Petersburg Chancery Causes Pleasant Webb, etc. vs. William H. Major, etc. and James Blackwell, etc. vs. William H. Major, etc.

Scope and Content

First Baptist Church (Petersburg, Va.) Minute Book, 1914. The volume contains minutes of regular monthly meetings from 1914 April 27 to 1914 December 7. Minutes note scripture lessons read, hymns sung, names of persons attending, and church business, such as reception and dismissal of members, committee reports and other business, and plans to repair the church building and parsonage.

Related Material

For additional information see the Petersburg Chancery Causes 1914-001 Pleasant Webb, etc. vs. William H. Major, etc. and 1915-002 James Blackwell, etc. vs. William H. Major, etc. They can be found in the Chancery Records Index at the Library of Virginia web site.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• First Baptist Church (Petersburg, Va.: Harrison Street).
• Petersburg (Va.)--Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• African American Baptists--Virginia--Petersburg.

Geographical Names:

• Petersburg (Va.)--Church history--20th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Church records--Virginia--Petersburg.
• Local government records--Virginia--Petersburg.
• Minute books--Virginia--Petersburg.

Adjunct Descriptive Data