First Baptist Church
On January 24, 1818, a small group of Tuscaloosa families congregated at the home of Benjamin Higginbotham and organized the Ebenezer Baptist Church. In attendance were Baptist ministers James Baines and Nathan Roberts, both of whom approved of the foundation of the Baptist church. Sometime between 1830 and 1841, the first church was built, constructed of brick with two round columns that supported the gabled roof. During the mid-1800s, University of Alabama presidents Alva Woods and Basil Manly, both ordained Baptist ministers with seminary degrees, occupied the church’s pulpit.In March of 1883, the church was in disrepair and was sold to the Allen and Jemison Warehouse Company for $2,500. A member of the congregation donated a plot of land on which the second church was built. The third church was built in 1884 by architect J.R. Ryan of Chattanooga. The church accommodated 600 people and had stained glass windows with swinging sashes, a beautiful spire, and a belfry. Between 1957 and 1958, the church was demolished and the current sanctuary was built. The Victorian stained-glass windows were removed and reinstalled in the current sanctuary.• Address: 721 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401• Services: Sunday Worship at 8:30 am and 11:00 am (Subject to change)• http://www.firsttuscaloosa.org/
Greenwood Cemetery
Established circa 1819, Greenwood Cemetery is one of Tuscaloosa’s oldest burial grounds. It is an urban style cemetery, meaning it is located within the interior of the city and does not have a uniform layout. This is different from Evergreen Cemetery, which was originally a garden cemetery before city limits expanded. Greenwood Cemetery is comprised of traditional and popular tombstones, such as bed- board tombstones, obelisks, false crypts, and iron framework. The cemetery’s tombstone styles reflect Neoclassical, Greek revival, and Victorian eras. Stonemasons and enslaved craftsmen used materials such as sandstone to create many of Greenwood’s tombstones. As Tuscaloosa evolved from a frontier region to an established town, the use of marble, often shipped from Mobile, became more frequent.Those buried in the cemetery provide a glimpse into Tuscaloosa’s history. For instance, several of Alabama’s first politicians, two Confederate generals, numerous “unknown” Civil War soldiers, early University of Alabama professors, and important African-American leaders, most notably, Solomon Perteet, are buried in Greenwood Cemetery. The elaborate monuments and gravestones of prominent white families lie separate from African-American graves, reflecting the socio-economic patterns in Tuscaloosa from early settlement through the Jim Crow era.• 9th Street – 27th Avenue SW Tuscaloosa, AL• http://visittuscaloosa.com/attraction/greenwood-cemetery/Sunrise -- Sunset• Free Admission• Handicapped Accessibility– be advised this is an outdoor location with uneven ground• Street parking on Paul W. Bryant Drive
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
Downtown, ChurchIn January 1844, the Catholics of Tuscaloosa established St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and welcomed Rev. Patrick R. Hackett as the parish’s first priest. Since its establishment, the church has played a significant role in Tuscaloosa. In 1974, the congregation, with the help of the Tuscaloosa Preservation Society, began a major restoration to preserve the Gothic Revival style that accentuates the steeply pitched roof and extended gables. When built, the church was crafted with hand-made bricks and hand-hewn pine that are still visible today. As you continue your tour of houses of worship, pay attention to the varying architectural details evident in the other nearby churches such as the First African Baptist Church, Christ Episcopal Church, and the First United Methodist Church.-Open Times: N/A-Address: 800 Lurleen B Wallace Blvd N, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401-Handicap Accessible: Yes-Contact Phone Number: (205) 553-9733-Website Link: https://www.bhmdiocese.org/parishes/list/tuscaloosa-Tour Time/Visitation: Not Available-Parking Accessibility: Limited Street Parking, Two Hours
Hunter Chapel AME Zion Church
Tuscaloosa’s first African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME) church, Hunter Chapel AME Zion Church, was founded on May 2, 1866. Established by worshipers who had broken off from the First United Methodist Church, Hunter Chapel served as a place of worship for newly freed African Americans. Prior to the construction of its first church, the congregation held services in an old shed, on the current site of Bryant-Denny Stadium on The University of Alabama’s campus. An old blacksmith shop on the corner of Greensboro Ave and Crescent City Avenue became the second place of worship. The third location was a family residence that is the site of the present church.Reverend Edward Hunter erected Hunter Chapel in 1880 at a cost of $6,000. The original structure burned down in 1910 and was rebuilt in its current form. The building is an example of vernacular Romanesque architecture, which features round arches as seen over the doorways. W.A. Rayfield, the first formally trained black architect in Alabama and the second in the nation, used this style as a signature for several churches and other buildings throughout the city. Hunter Chapel AME Zion Church also built a schoolhouse for the children of emancipated black citizens. On November 25, 1973, an Alabama Historical Commission marker was dedicated to Hunter Chapel and its founders.• 1105 22nd Ave Tuscaloosa, AL 35401• (205) 752-7904• Street parking
First United Methodist Church
Reverend Ebenezer Hearn, a Methodist circuit rider, organized the First United Methodist Church in 1818. Early services were held in church members’ homes until the first church was completed in 1838. The church was a brick structure with white columns that supported the gabled roof and bell tower. In 1828, Samuel St. John Jr. and Joshua E. Leavens of Mobile gifted a bell made in Boston by Paul Revere and his sons to the church. It is the only Revere bell listed in Alabama and weighs 455 pounds. In 1922, the original church was demolished and the current structure was built in its place. The current church is constructed of brick and has six Ionic columns that support the gabled roof. The Revere bell is still rung on Sundays to commence services and at funerals and weddings.• Services: Sunday Worship at 9:00 am and 11:00 am• 800 Greensboro Ave, Tuscaloosa• Website: http://fumct.org/
First Presbyterian Church
The First Presbyterian Church was organized in 1820 by settlers from South Carolina. The church congregation met in the county courthouse until a brick building was erected in 1831. Because of its proximity to the University of Alabama and the state capitol, the First Presbyterian Church congregation consisted predominantly of lawyers, legislators, judges, and professors during its early years. In 1876, under Pastor Dr. Charles Allen Stillman, the church founded Tuscaloosa Theological Institute, now known as Stillman College, a training school for African-American ministers. In 1879, African-American members of First Presbyterian Church broke off to establish Salem Presbyterian, Tuscaloosa’s first all-black congregation. The church’s current Gothic Revival structure was built in 1921. You can see the elements of Gothic Revival style in the church’s steep-pitched roofs and intricate molding. The church was remodeled in 1952 to meet the needs of a growing congregation. With the help of local philanthropists, such as Mildred Warner and Anna Price, the church’s sanctuary was remodeled with decorative woodwork and 16th century stained glass windows.• Address: 900 Greensboro Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401• Service Times: Sunday Worship at 8:45 am, 9:45 am, and 11:00 am• Website: http://www.fpctusc.org/
