The Baptist Praying Society was established in Augusta in 1817, and completed their first building on this site in 1821 with John Lund as their architect; it was in that building the Southern Baptist Convention was founded in 1845, eventually becoming the largest Protestant denomination in the world.
That building was destroyed by a fire and the current building was built in 1902 by William F. Denny. This building is a fine example of the Beaux-Arts style and features many characteristics indicative of the style including decorative garlands, floral patterns, and symmetrical façade.
The present building is notable for its cross-gable plan, copper dome, monumental Corinthian columns and tremendous arched windows. The congregation moved to West Augusta in 1975, and this building was subsequently used by various churches over the years until being abandoned in the early 2000’s.
The First Baptist Church Building 