Shiloh Baptist Church

When the cornerstone was laid for what is now Shiloh Baptist Church, the building was described as one of the most handsome in the city. It was built in 1923 as the long-awaited dream of Fifth Street Baptist Church.

Fifth Street Baptist, a white congregation, began as a mission church in 1888 for a presence in the newly developing northside section of the city – north of Fourth Street and east of Limestone. But times change and church buildings receive new owners, just like houses. Fifth Street Baptist, rechristened Felix Memorial Baptist Church in 1915, sold its building at 237 East Fifth Street in 1963 and moved to the suburbs. The church was bought by Shiloh Baptist Church, an historically Black congregation. Shiloh traces its roots to 1896, when the founding members worshipped that first year in a barn at the Kentucky Association Race Track. Over the years, Shiloh grew, prospered and in 1923 also celebrated with construction of a new brick building. By 1963, with a congregation of 700 members, the church needed a larger building and bought its current location, the beautiful East Fifth Street church, only down the street from the old race track.

For more information on the historic Shiloh Baptist Church, follow this link to an article on the Gardens to Gable's blog.

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237 East Fifth Street, Lexington, Kentucky