First Baptist Church West Jefferson
(Baptist)
West Jefferson, North Carolina
Originating from meetings held in the rail depot, First Baptist Church West Jefferson was the first church formed in its small downtown community situated in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
Photo by Brent Moore
Photo by Brent Moore
Intervention Fund
First Baptist Church West Jefferson
(Baptist)
West Jefferson, North Carolina
Originating from meetings held in the rail depot, First Baptist Church West Jefferson was the first church formed in its small downtown community situated in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains.
The town of West Jefferson developed as Ashe County’s commercial center with the expansion of the railroad to transport timber. The First Baptist Church grew out of a Sunday School that originally met in the rail depot. Part of the West Jefferson Historic District, the building is a unique example of a Neoclassical Revival-style church in the rural county.
Today, First Baptist maintains a leading role in West Jefferson’s religious and community life. The church led community worship services for the town’s centennial celebration and also hosts the Ashe County Farmer’s Market, the High Country Caregivers, and Habitat for Humanity.
In September 2024, Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina with record-breaking amounts of rainfall. First Baptist Church West Jefferson’s first floor flooded, rendering the space unusable.
An Intervention Fund Grant of $100,000 awarded in 2025 will help First Baptist address exterior sources of water infiltration. In particular, the grant will support the site grading project for erosion control and managing runoff.
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