The First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia claims to be derived from the first black Baptist congregation in North America. While it was not officially organized until 1788, it grew from members who founded a congregation in 1773. (Its claim of "first" is contested by First Baptist Church of Petersburg, Virginia, whose congregation was officially organized in 1774.)
The church operates a museum which displays memorabilia dating back to the 18th century. The church was also photographed in 1939 by photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston as part of a Carnegie Grant study of the South. Photo by Carol Highsmith, 2017.