Shiloh Baptist Church is a historic

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

church in

King-Lincoln Bronzeville King-Lincoln Bronzeville is a historically African American neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. Originally known as Bronzeville by the residents of the community, it was renamed the King-Lincoln District by Mayor Michael B. Coleman's administration ...

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. One of the oldest

black church The black church (sometimes termed Black Christianity or African American Christianity) is the faith and body of Christian congregations and denominations in the United States that minister predominantly to African Americans, as well as their ...

es in the city, it has been active since the 1860s, and its 1920s building has been named a

historic site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

. Built of brick on a concrete

foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

, the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

church features

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

details and is covered with an asphalt roof. The major part of the church is on the second

story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

, sitting above a basement with windows at ground level; the main part of the building is entered through large doors atop a flight of exterior stairs. Squat rectangular towers with pyramidal roofs sit on the front corners of the building, with simple rectangular windows above small doorways. The plan partially reflects traditional ecclesiastical architecture, with a

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

d roof being interrupted by cross gables on the sides. Many of the windows, as well as the doorways, are wide ogive arches. Shiloh Baptist Church was formed by a group of former members of the city's Second Baptist Church. Seeing the city's black population increasing rapidly, especially on the near east side, Second Baptist leaders asked for volunteers to leave and form a new church; these volunteers formed the entire charter membership of the new Shiloh church. From their first meeting in 1869 until 1871, they worshipped in a rented property at Gay and Fourth Streets

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

, after which they moved a few blocks eastward to Cleveland Avenue and Long Street. The congregation again moved in 1923 upon the completion of the present building on Mount Vernon Avenue, significantly farther east than the previous houses of worship.Betti, Tom, et al. ''Columbus Neighborhoods: A Guide to the Landmarks of Franklinton, German Village, King-Lincoln, Olde Town East, Short North & the University District''. Charleston and London:

The History Press The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...

, 2013, 180. A minister, James Burks, was responsible for the design, with additional work being performed by the A.O. Day Construction Company. The congregation came close to losing the building during the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

, due to its inability to pay the mortgage, but was delivered by an unexpected act of mercy: upon obtaining title through

foreclosure Foreclosure is a legal process in which a lender attempts to recover the balance of a loan from a borrower who has stopped making payments to the lender by forcing the sale of the asset used as the collateral for the loan. Formally, a mortg ...

, the bank promptly contracted to return the property to the church. Since that time, the building has become recognized as one of the premier components of the surrounding neighborhood, Mount Vernon.Shiloh Baptist Church

Ohio Historical Society Ohio History Connection, formerly The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society and Ohio Historical Society, is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1885. Headquartered at the Ohio History Center in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio History Connect ...

, 2007. As the third oldest black church in Columbus, younger only than the parent church and a congregation of the

African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Black church, predominantly African American Methodist Religious denomination, denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, c ...

, the congregation has long played a significant part in the life of Mount Vernon. In recognition of its significance in local history, the building was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2004. The congregation remains active in the wider Baptist community as a part of the Eastern Union Missionary Baptist Association.Member Churches
, Eastern Union Missionary Baptist Association, 2015. Accessed 2015-07-05. Shiloh Baptist Church 1901

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Churches completed in 1923 Baptist churches in Ohio Churches in Columbus, Ohio Gothic Revival church buildings in Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Columbus, Ohio King-Lincoln Bronzeville African-American history in Columbus, Ohio

See also

References