Bethel Baptist Institutional Church

Editor's Note:

On many of the scans, text appears to bleed through from the reverse page as survey workers often used recycled paper printed on one side with unrelated material. Users should be aware that the bleed-through is not a missing page.

Transcript

Sheet 1 of 2 sheets
WPA Form 20 HR FLORIDA Revision
Worker’s Full Name: James M. Johnson
Date: April 21, 1939

[added note] 2684-X [end note]

HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY – STATE ARCHIVES SURVEY
CHURCH INVENTORY FORM: 1938

Fill in each item, or state in items for which information is not available, sources contacted in attempting to secure information.

1. County: Duval

2. City or town: Jacksonville

3. Exact name of church: Bethel Baptist Institutional Church

4. Street address, R.F.D. route, or description of location: Northeast corner Hogan and Caroline Streets

5. Race of membership: Colored

6. Language of services: English

7. Denomination (full title): National Baptist Convention of America (Colored)

8. Names and locations of denominational bodies – national, state, district, etc. – in descending order of importance:

National Baptist Convention of America (Colored), headquarters, Kansas City, MO.
Progressive Baptist State Convention of Florida, headquarters, Jacksonville, Fla.
East Florida Bethany Association, headquarters, movable.

9. Date church organized: July 1838

10. Dates of lapse, if now defunct: None

11. Is church incorporated?: Yes

12. If so, give date of incorporation: Nov. 16, 1894

13. Original name of church (if name has changed) and date of change:

Bethel Baptist Church, name changed to Bethel Baptist Institutional Church on date of incorporation, Nov. 16, 1894.

14. Name of local parent church (if any) from which organized of split: None

15. Information on all previous buildings used for services, since, organization, specifying location and dates used:

Prior to 1838 there was no Baptist church in Jacksonville, but slaves gathered at "Mother Sam’s Place" at Bay and Liberty Street, after "Mother Sam" was sold and sent to Pablo Beach services were held in the home of Mother McQueen on Beaver Street between Ocean and Newnan. The congregation grew and the first building was erected at the southwest corner of Union and Ocean Streets. All of this prior to 1838. The first church built after organization in 1838 was located at the northeast corner of Duval and Newnan Streets, dates occupied unknown; second building was located on Myrtle Avenue between Monroe and Duval Streets. As the city failed to grow west a site was purchased on Church Street near Julia where the American Legion building is now located.

(See attached sheet)