Virginia Street Baptist Church, one of Christian County’s oldest churches, will observe its 175th anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 18.
Officially organized in 1851, the African-American church traces its origin to 1818 with New Providence Baptist Church, a white congregation that became Hopkinsville’s First Baptist Church. Virginia Street members and members of the white congregation worshipped together for about 35 years, according to a church history on Virginia Street Baptist’s website.
By 1854, Virginia Street Baptist had its own brick church building at 14th and Virginia streets. It was replaced with a new building in 1874.
In 1892, a decision by the white church to locate at 14th and Virginia streets forced Virginia Street Baptist to move several blocks to Third and Virginia streets, where a new church building was dedicated on July 16, 1893.
The current church building was constructed in 2014-15 and dedicated on Sept. 27, 2015. It stands across Virginia Street from the site of the church building that opened in 1893.
The 175th anniversary service will begin at 10:30 a.m. Guests will be the Rev. Terrance Minor and members of Mt. Zion Baptist Church at Earlington. Dinner will be served after the service.
Virginia Street’s pastor, the Rev. Dr. M.O. Fort, celebrated his 30th anniversary with the church in March 2025.
