Every year in May, local preservation groups, state historical societies, and business and civic organizations across the country celebrate Preservation Month through events that promote historic places and heritage tourism, and that demonstrate the social and economic benefits of historic preservation.

The Fayette Historic Preservation Commission celebrates this year’s Preservation Month by adding to its list of Notable Building Awards which began in 2004. Each week during May, an award recipient will be announced and pictured in the newspaper.

Each recipient of a Notable Building Award represents a place in Fayette which matters, a place that is important in the history of the Fayette community. The award is presented to promote public awareness of the importance of maintaining, preserving, and recognizing the historic and cultural significance of historic buildings in Fayette. Most importantly, these historic buildings matter because they represent people, loved ones, fathers, mothers, grandfathers, and grandmothers, who, throughout the generations, worked and struggled to make this Fayette a better place to live, love, raise a family, help our neighbors, and form a community that truly cares.

The FHPC announces Second Baptist Church, located at 309 East Hackberry, as the first recipient of the 2024 Notable Building Award.

A portion of a history written by Tim Jackman reads as follows: “Howard County was organized in 1816. Churches of many kinds followed rather quickly.

“Depending on how you calculate, Second Baptist seems to be the oldest historically black congregation in town. It began as part of First Baptist which was established on September 12, 1839; apparently black and white members were worshipping together. Early slavery was in force so it might have been a matter of masters and slaves. But people of both races were worshipping together there.

“In 1869, after slavery was over but other racial barriers were going up, the black members of First Baptist became a separate church, called Second Baptist. It seems to have originally met at the corner of East Davis and Louisiana streets for a while. In 1883, the membership sought a different location, and under the leadership of the Reverend Shackelford, became successful in securing the spot of ground at 309 E. Hackberry St., near the Lincoln School site. There were 155 people who formed that initial Second Baptist Church. In 1970, a new building was erected.

“Today, Second Baptist Church is an important part of the history of the Fayette community. It represents a piece of history often overlooked but very much among us. It stands as witness to faith and community and hope. It stands as testimony to a spirit of overcoming and persistence and strength. It stands as a beacon to a future of Godly hope and a dream of true community.”