Second Baptist Church | Detroit, MI

The Second Baptist Church, constructed in 1914 to replace the original church building, houses Michigan’s first African American congregation. The church was established in 1836, when 13 former slaves decided to leave the First Baptist Church because of its discriminatory practices. The church quickly became involved in the period’s most bitter dispute–slavery. Just miles away from the freedom that the Canadian border offered to escaped slaves, it soon became a stop on the Underground Railroad.

The current building replaced an earlier structure which was destroyed by fire in 1914 and was expanded in 1926 and 1968. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Michigan Historic Sites. Other firsts include:

• The oldest African-American Baptist church in Michigan
• The oldest African-American church in the Midwestern United States
• The seventh major church formed in Detroit
• The second Baptist church formed in Detroit
• Established the first school in Detroit for black children

Second Baptist Church
441 Monroe Street
Detroit, MI 48226
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