First Baptist Church

Union, Monroe County

March 2019 Update: The building was cleaned in 2018 in preparation for a house tour of Union which was very successful.

At the moment, the building is not in current use.

The roof and the windows are tight, but the brickwork needs attention. There are two massive columns in front requiring re-plastering

2017 Update: The building continues to have issues with brickwork and column refinishing.  The remaining repair work requires professional help.  Finding funding to complete the needed work continues to be a struggle.  Several attempts have been made for funding from WV Culture and History.  However, the available money is restricted to structures in eminent danger of collapse.  Additionally, there has been no interest in reusing the building therefore there has been no pressure to rehabilitate it.

2012: The First Baptist Church (Monroe County) is located in the heart of the Union Historic District. William B. Phillips, master builder and brick mason who once worked under Thomas Jefferson constructed it in 1845, in Jeffersonian Classical Revival style. The church‘s largely white congregation dissipated after the Civil War making it available to a black congregation led by formerly enslaved Reverend Charles Campbell.  In 1997, the remaining congregation members deeded the church to the Monroe County Historical Society (MCHS).  It has since undergone an extensive preservation project, which was unfortunately halted in April 2006 when tornado-like storms ravaged the building of its prominent 36-foot tower.  Since this destruction, MCHS and community members have rallied together to fundraise for the restoration project. The ultimate goal for the project is to make the church available to the community, although its use is not yet determined.  Residents are entertaining ideas such as a new location for the Monroe County Museum or a gallery and store for the Monroe County Arts Alliance.

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Download 2012 Report