Remnants of Black church uncovered in Colonial Williamsburg

By BEN FINLEY
Associated Press

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — The brick foundation of one the oldest Black churches in the United States has been unearthed by archeologists at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. The living history museum announced its confirmation of the church’s remnants on Thursday as it continues to reckon with its past storytelling about the country’s origins and the role of Black Americans. The First Baptist Church was formed in 1776 by free and enslaved African Americans. They initially met secretly in fields and under trees in defiance of laws that prevented Black people from congregating. The church had its first building by 1818, but the structure was destroyed by a tornado in 1834.