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Congregants Celebrate the Reconstruction of One of America's Oldest Black Churches
Archaeologists uncovered the church’s original foundation and 62 graves, and the rebuilt meeting house adds modern accessibility and climate systems.
- On Friday, hundreds of residents gathered in Williamsburg, Virginia, for the rededication of the reconstructed First Baptist Church, established in 1776 by enslaved and free African Americans in defiance of laws prohibiting them from congregating.
- Colonial Williamsburg previously converted the site into a parking lot to match the town's 18th-century aesthetic, but archaeologists in 2021 uncovered the original foundation and 62 graves, prompting the reconstruction.
- Construction teams modeled the 16-foot by 32-foot church using pine and white oak, incorporating modern HVAC and restoration glass that Jennifer Wilkoski described as "handmade like they would've had in the 18th and early 19th century."
- Pastor Reginald F. Davis called the rededication "a rediscovery of the humanity of a people," telling The Associated Press that Black history is American history and integral to the nation's formulation.
- The event featured a performance by the Nassau Street Remembrance Choir and the debut of Brandon Lee as interpreter for Gowan Pamphlet, marking what Janice Canaday called "a reclamation, a reclaiming of the narrative.
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Reconstructed African Baptist Meeting House rededicated, in photos
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — First Baptist Church of Williamsburg celebrated the rededication of its reconstructed African Baptist Meeting House, a historic gathering place established in 1776 by enslaved and free African Americans.
·Calhoun, United States
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Congregants celebrate the reconstruction of one of America's olde
Joe Feaster, a part-time historical interpreter who portrays pastor Gowan Pamphlet, steps out of the reconstructed African Baptist Meeting House, now known as First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, during a rededication ceremony in Williamsburg, Va., Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Mike Kropf)
·Baltimore, United States
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Congregants celebrate the reconstruction of one of America's oldest Black churches
The First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, one of the oldest Black churches in the U.S., celebrated the reconstruction of its original meeting house with a re-dedication on Friday
·New York, United States
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Total News Sources32
Leaning Left12Leaning Right4Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution47% Center
Bias Distribution
- 47% of the sources are Center
47% Center
L 40%
C 47%
13%
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