Sandwich First Baptist Church, Windsor

Sandwich First Baptist Church is the oldest active black church in Canada. A group of former slaves, led by Henry Brown, John Hubbs and Willis Jackson, began an informal church group in the 1820’s. In 1840 eleven fugitive slaves from the ‘Close Communion of Baptists’ organization formed the congregation. They worshiped outdoors or in the homes of individual members until a log cabin was constructed in 1847 under the direction of Rev. Madison Lightfoot. One acre of land was donated by the Crown for a new brick church on Lot 22 West Peter Street. Fugitive slaves worked to construct the new church with hand hewn lumber and bricks. The clay for the bricks was obtained from the riverbank and fired in a hand-made kiln. In August of 1851 the church was dedicated with Robert H. Jackson as pastor.

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