First Baptist Church

Capital City & Lake Murray Country

The original church, built in 1811, was located at the corner of Sumter and Hampton Streets and was replaced by a second church in 1859. On December 17, 1860, delegates of the first Secession Convention convened at the church to discuss the state’s separation from the Union. The Convention later moved to Charleston where the Ordinance of Secession was signed.

The brick church features a Roman Tuscan portico and pilasters, slave balcony and interior as it would have appeared in 1860. Amazingly, the church survived the “Burning of Columbia” on February 17, 1865, during the Federal occupation. The present church was completed in the 1990s.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the church is also a National Historic Landmark.

Visit the Website

Columbia

Midlands

1306 Hampton ST,
Columbia, SC 29201 (803) 256-4251

Info & Amenities

Location

I-126 to Huger St. exit. Follow Huger to Hampton St. and turn left. Follow Hampton to the 1300 block. Parking is available in our Washington Street lot directly behind the church.

Admission

Free

Civil War

Yes

Days and Hours of Operation

M-Th 8am-5pm; F 8:30am-2pm; Su service is 10:30am. Group tours available upon request. Walk-in's welcome.

Hours Year-round

M-Th 8am- 5pm; F 8:30am-3pm

Listed on National Register

Yes

Free Admission

Yes