Angier Avenue Baptist Church

35.982273, -78.877516

2101
Angier Avenue
Durham
NC
Cross Street
South Driver Street
Year built
1924
Architectural style
Neoclassical Revival
Construction type
Masonry
Brick
National Register
East Durham
Neighborhood
East Durham
Use
Church
Building Type
Church
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Angier Avenue Baptist, along with Carr Methodist, traces its origins to the establishment of East Durham in the 1880s. In 1886, two years after the establishment of the Durham Cotton Manufacturing Company, RT Howerton of the First Baptist Church organized Sunday School classes in one of two original schoolhouses in East Durham - the Oak Grove School on East Pettigrew Street next to the Durham Cotton Manufacturing Co.

In 1889, members of the Sunday School established the East Durham Baptist Church. Jean Anderson notes that charter members were "Mrs. Jane Gray, Mrs. FD Hudson, and Mrs. AW Renn," who donated a site for a sanctuary on the northeast corner of South Driver Street and Angier Ave.; they built a frame church structure at that location.

(Interestingly, the building is noted as the East Durham M.E. Church on the 1913 Sanborn map...)


1913 Sanborn Map.

In 1924, the original frame church was demolished and replaced by the present neoclassical brick structure; the church was renamed the Angier Avenue Baptist Church.


Angier Avenue Baptist Church, 1950s
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)

In 1963, the church expanded to the north, removing houses along South Driver Street to add an "Education Building" annex.


Angier Avenue Baptist Church - Educational Building addition, 05.28.63
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)


Angier Avenue Baptist, 1980


Angier Avenue Baptist Church, 06.14.93
(Courtesy The Herald-Sun Newspaper)

Unlike Carr Methodist, the Angier Avenue has been able to sustain itself within the context of changing demographics in East Durham and remains an active congregation.


Angier Avenue Baptist, 10.02.10

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35.982273,-78.877516

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Comments

Submitted by Michael Bacon (not verified) on Tue, 4/19/2011 - 12:18pm

Just out of curiosity... You say that it's been able to "sustain itself within the context of changing demographics." To put it more bluntly, does this remain a predominantly white church, or has it transitioned to being predominantly black, or is that rarest of rarities, a church that is actually relatively integrated?

Submitted by Gary (not verified) on Tue, 4/19/2011 - 12:18pm

Michael

I don't actually know; I didn't get a chance to speak with anyone at the church.

GK

Submitted by Gary (not verified) on Wed, 4/20/2011 - 12:19pm

Thanks Anon - a nice article by the UNC students at VOICE. Just a note that the picture they have in the article showing the original building is incorrect. That's the original First Presbyterian downtown.

GK

Submitted by Vivian Taylor Briggs (not verified) on Wed, 6/15/2011 - 12:19pm

The church is still predominantly white. I know the pastor and his wife. The church has generations of families that continue to worship at the church. I attended a funeral, and I met family members of folks that I knew as a child.-Vivian Taylor Briggs

Submitted by Vivian Taylor Briggs (not verified) on Wed, 6/15/2011 - 2:00am

The church is still predominantly white. I know the pastor and his wife. The church has generations of families that continue to worship at the church. I attended a funeral, and I met family members of folks that I knew as a child.-Vivian Taylor Briggs

Submitted by Karen on Fri, 1/25/2013 - 3:17pm

Here's a paperweight with (I think) an image of the original building, from NC Collection website (E073). 

Image removed.

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