NRHP Reference # 92001388 Designated VLR June 19, 1991 Added to NRHP 15 October 1992 | VLR # 104-0181 Opened 1884 Architect George Wallace Spooner | |
 | ||
Location 105 Ridge St.
Charlottesville, Virginia Architectural styles Italianate architecture, Neoclassical architecture Similar Monticello, The Lawn, Shenandoah National Park, Ash Lawn–Highland, McCormick Observatory | ||
Mount Zion is a historic Baptist church located at Charlottesville, Virginia. Although the current Mount Zion Baptist Church has only been in existence since 1884, the roots of the church are much deeper. The church began with a petition in 1864 to separate from the segregated white Baptist church, and the congregation was officially organized in 1867. Initially taking residence in the house of Samuel White, the congregation soon grew too large for the house, and in 1875 built a wooden church in the lot next door. In 1884, they finished the current, brick church that still stands today. The church was designed by George Wallace Spooner, who also helped rebuild the Rotunda at the University of Virginia.
Rich in cultural history, the Mount Zion Baptist Church has seen more than just prayer. A social and political hub for African-Americans, it has seen the turbulent times of Jim Crow, the Civil Rights Movement, and Urban Renewal. The congregation is still in place today, and the church remains a pillar of strength and pride in the black community.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.