portion of the property which is now the present site of the church.

The site selected for the new church was on Mangum Street near the center of the town of Durham. A brick structure was erected on Mangum Street at Rigsbee Avenue and Holloway Street at a cost of $12,000 and was paid for before the congregation moved. Later that same year the name of the church was changed to its present name – First Baptist Church.

The Church continued to organize churches and since those early days it has organized 19 churches; 8 were in cooperation with Mt. Zion and Yates Associations. In 1888 First Baptist organized Temple Baptist; in 1898, Angier Avenue Baptist; in 1894 West Durham (Greystone), in 1902 Edgemont; in 1907, North Durham (now Grace);and in 1923, Watts Street Baptist.

In 1924 First Baptist Church voted to build a new church on Cleveland Street. Connie H. Shipp was the general contractor and construction was begun in May, 1926. On September 4, 1927 the congregation worshipped in the new structure for the first time. The church was built for approximately $320,000 but it had a debt of $190,000.

In 1962 the corner stone was laid for a new educational building and expansion of the children’s departments into the lower auditorium. The cost was $325,000 and was completed in 1963.

The church has had 24 pastors, with Rev. Jesse Howell serving three different pastorates. Many interesting stories could be written about each pastor and their contribution to the First Baptist Church and to Durham. Only three former