Ellington designed First Baptist Church in the Beaux-Arts style with Art Deco decoration and a dome influenced by Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence. The history of First Baptist, originally founded in 1829, is representative of Asheville’s complicated race relations over time. In the 1850s, First Baptist maintained a majority Black congregation, but after the Civil War, white congregants segregated the church for nearly a century. The church integrated in the 1960s and hosted a prominent, televised service of lament following the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.

Today, First Baptist prioritizes inclusivity and addresses the congregation and city’s racist histories through its work. The campus master plan seeks to reconcile the enduring racist legacy of 1960s and 1970s urban renewal through building affordable and workforce housing. First Baptist staff members run the Academy for the Arts, which offers music lessons and performance spaces in the church and sponsors the Asheville Youth Choir, one of the most racially diverse faith-based choirs in the region. First Baptist also provides meals and after-school care for community members facing housing insecurity and participates in extensive community-wide service projects.

A $250,000 National Fund grant with $973,156 in matching funds raised by the congregation allowed First Baptist to provide critical exterior repairs to the Sanctuary, and to repair the portico gable with new terra cotta bands and a replicate terra cotta gable. Beyond the gable, this project included the repair of copper flashing, parapet wall caps, and repointing around all of the damaged bands and lintel. Churchmember Tim Carter expressed the deep satisfaction at the completion of the project, “As the Building and Grounds chairman, witnessing the completion of the external restoration project of First Baptist Church of Asheville has been a deeply fulfilling experience. Our building has been transformed into a revitalized asset that serves both the community and our congregation.”

First Baptist Church of Asheville by Gloria Sainio