Washington Street Missionary Baptist Church
Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Washington Street Missionary Baptist Church. Organized 1855 in log cabin near this site, led by George Brent, member Paducah First Baptist Church. Second was frame building, built by slaves, under leadership of Rev. George W. ("Pappy") Dupee, the first pastor constituted on Feb. 4, 1855. See over. Marker donated by the Brotherhood of 1969. (Reverse) Washington Street Missionary Baptist Church - Colonial brick structure built in 1893 under Rev. Dupee, rebuilt in 1942 after fire, when Rev. D. E. King pastor. Cornerstone this edifice laid June 18, 1967 under pastorate of Rev. H. Joseph Franklin, who envisioned building adequate for worship, Christian education. Dedicated August 1969.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
Organized in 1855 in a log cabin, this congregation was among the earliest African American Baptist churches in Paducah. Enslaved workers built its second, frame home under the Rev. George W. 'Pappy' Dupee, its first pastor, and a brick church rose in 1893. Rebuilt after a 1942 fire and again in the 1960s, the church has anchored its community for well over a century.
Why it matters
It stands as a living record of African American faith and self-organization from slavery through the twentieth century.
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Related people
- · George Brent
- · George W. Dupee
Themes & tags
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