Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church!

Plaque Text for this Alabama landmark:

The second Black Baptist Church in Montgomery. First pastor was Rev. C.O. Boothe. Present structure built 1885. Designed by Pelham J. Anderson; built by William Watkins, a member of the congregation.

Many prominent Black citizens of Montgomery have been members. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. served as pastor (1954-1960). Montgomery bus boycott organized here December 2, 1955.

More about Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church:

The site where this church was built was previously a slave trader’s pen on Market Street. Bought as a lot for $270.00 on January 30, 1879, the red brick building we see today was ready for worshippers by 1889! Called the Second Colored Baptist Church, it housed the first registration of students from the Normal School for Colored Students. Since then, those names have changed to Dexter Avenue Baptist Church and Alabama State University, respectively!

When Dr. King arrived in Montgomery in 1954, he was preaching to congregation of 600, but after the arrest of Rosa Parks in December 1955, Dr. King took on the additional title of president of the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). In that role at this church, he teamed with E.D. Nixon and Rev. Ralph Abernathy to coordinate the year-long bus boycott that, while putting the protestors at great risk, did lead to segregaton being struck down in public transportation! It was because of his work here that the church now bears his name: Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church!

How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?

Become a member of the Alabama Historical Association!
Donate to the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church!
Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!