Zion Baptist Church, Columbia

Zion Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina, stands as a monument to spiritual resilience, civil rights activism, and African American history. First organized in 1865, just after the Civil War, the church was born from the formerly enslaved members of Columbia’s white Baptist congregation. Under the leadership of Reverend Frank Dobbins-himself born into slavery around 1801-Zion quickly became a vital part of the city’s Reconstruction-era Black community. Initially meeting in a modest dwelling on Gadsden Street, the congregation moved to its present location in 1871.

The original wooden church stood here for more than four decades before the current sanctuary was constructed. When Rev. J.C. White took over as pastor in 1913, he launched an ambitious fundraising campaign to build a larger facility for the growing congregation. The new structure, designed by architect Arthur W. Hamby in a German Gothic style, was completed in 1917. Known affectionately as “Big Zion,” the building could seat 1,800 people-though even that proved too small for its 2,000-member congregation. It wasn’t just a church-it was also an educational center, with nine basement classrooms and a kitchen demonstration room used to teach domestic science to women.

Zion Baptist’s legacy extends far beyond religious services. In 1930, Dr. Matilda Evans-the first African American woman to practice medicine in South Carolina-opened a free clinic in the church basement. During the Civil Rights Movement, the church emerged as a hub for political organizing and social action. Groups such as the South Carolina NAACP, the Progressive Democrats, and the Negro Citizens Committee regularly held meetings and rallies here.

From its founding during the ashes of slavery to its central role in the fight for civil rights, Zion Baptist Church remains a powerful symbol of faith, education, and resistance in Columbia’s Black community.