Alfred Street Baptist Church (Alexandria, Virginia)

Alfred StreetBaptist Church (Alexandria, Virginia)

Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley, Pastor

Alfred Street Baptist Church traces its origins to 1803, during the period when Thomas Jefferson served as the third president of the United States. At that time, Baptists in Northern Virginia worshipped at the Backlick Baptist Church on Little River Turnpike. However, in April 1803, members from Alexandria, Virginia separated from them to form the Alexandria Baptist Society. Susan Black, a Negro slave was baptized as its first colored member in May 1803, and soon other coloreds were invited to join this integrated group. In 1806, the colored members formally established the Colored Baptist Society of Alexandria as a ‘conjoined’ church with the Alexandria Baptist Society. This created the first black Baptist church north of Richmond, Virginia. In 1815, its numbers grew when slaves from Mount Vernon Plantation joined the Colored Baptist Society. During 1818, members of the Colored Baptist Society were able to rent property at 313 South Alfred Street to hold their meetings. After 18 years of renting, they purchased the site in September 1842.