HISTORIC BLACK CHURCHES
Featured
Founded on August 17, 1862, in Mitchelville—the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people in the United States—First African Baptist Church is Hilton Head Island's oldest African American congregation. Led by Reverend Abraham Murchison, a formerly enslaved man from Savannah, the church began with 120 members, all of whom were freedmen. Reverend Murchison played a significant role in the community, not only as a spiritual leader but also by assisting Union forces during the Civil War and recruiting African American soldiers for the Union Army. After the Civil War, the church relocated to the Chaplin community and underwent several name changes before reclaiming its original name.
Queen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church traces its origins to May 12, 1865, when AME missionaries, including Rev. Richard Harvey Cain, were forced to land on Hilton Head Island due to a storm while en route to Charleston. They established the church in the Cherry Hill area, providing a spiritual home for the newly freed African American community. The current church property was acquired in 1886, with the existing structure built or relocated there around 1892.
St. James Baptist Church was established in 1886 by former members of First African Baptist Church who wished to continue worshiping in the Mitchelville area after the original church relocated. As the only remaining institution from the historic town of Mitchelville, St. James has been a continuous presence in the community. The church has served as a caretaker for two native islander cemeteries—Union and Drayton—and the historic Cherry Hill School, a one-room schoolhouse built in 1937 for African American children. The current brick sanctuary was constructed in 1972 and renovated in 2005.
Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church was founded on March 14, 1914, by members who separated from First African Baptist Church to establish a new congregation in the Pope community. Under the leadership of Rev. B.W. Williams, the church was built on land donated by the Miller family. Mt. Calvary has maintained traditional Gullah worship practices, including outdoor baptisms in Skull Creek, and continues to be an active spiritual and cultural center on the island.
Central Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church, established around 1887, originated from a congregation known as Good Will Baptist Church. Located in the Chaplin community, the church has been a cornerstone of the Gullah community, serving as a place of worship and community gathering. Despite challenges, including damage from natural disasters, Central Oak Grove continues to uphold its mission and heritage.