First Bryan Baptist Church

First Bryan Baptist Church is the oldest continuous African-American Baptist Church in the United States. The present building, designed by John B. Hogg and completed in 1873-1888, sits on land that was once part of a Yamacraw Indian village. The church features stained-glass windows that pay tribute to the founding fathers of the African-American church. A Savannah slave, Andrew Bryan, organized the church in 1788 and served as the first pastor. Five years later, Bryan purchased his freedom and then purchased the present site of the church for "thirty pounds sterling" and the first church building was constructed in 1795.