Originally named First Colored Baptist, this congregation began as a slave mission of First Baptist Church in 1848.

During the desegregation movement of the 1960's, First Baptist Capitol Hill became a leading voice for justice under the pastor, Kelly Miller Smith. As a result of the urban renewal projects of the 1950's, many black churches in Downtown Nashville were destroyed and the congregations were forced to move. First Baptist Capitol Hill held out until 1971; its downtown location provided a convenient place for civil rights activists to meet, train, debrief protestors, and lead marches.

The congregation moved to its current location on James Robertson Parkway, two blocks down the hill from the Eighth Avenue property, in 1972.

Sources:

Interview, Dr. Bobby L. Lovett, 2002.

"A Brief History of First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill: An Afro-American Journey of Faith, 1865-2001," First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill.

Archival Image Photo Credit: Courtesy of Harold Lowe