| Savannah, Ga., August 12, 2019 - The
Georgia Historical Society will dedicate a new Georgia Civil Rights
Trail historical marker recognizing Tabernacle Baptist Church in Augusta
on Tuesday, August 13, at 5:45 p.m. Speakers for the event include The Honorable Hardie Davis, Mayor of Augusta; The Honorable Bill Fennoy, Augusta Commissioner; Ms. Joyce Law, Program Manager, Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History; Reverend Charles E. Goodman, II, Senior Pastor, Tabernacle Baptist Church; Betty Beard, Former Commissioner; Reverend Michael H. Woods, Executive Minister of Operations, Tabernacle Baptist Church; and Ms. Elyse Butler, Marker Manager at the Georgia Historical Society. A brief reception will be held in the C.S. Hamilton Fellowship Hall, located in the church basement, immediately following the unveiling. |
| | ||
| What: | Historical Marker Dedication: Georgia Civil Rights Trail: Tabernacle Baptist Church | |
| Where: | 1223 Laney-Walker Boulevard, Augusta, Georgia | |
| When: | Tuesday, August 20, 2019 | |
| Time: | 5:45 p.m. | |
| |
| For additional information regarding this event please contact Patricia Meagher, Director of Communications, at 912-651-2125, ext. 153, on cell at 434-996-7085, or by email at pmeagher@georgiahistory.com. The marker reads: |
Tabernacle Baptist Church
Emerging from Central African Baptist Church’s divided congregation, Beulah Baptist Church was founded in the Union Baptist Church fellowship hall in August 1885 by Rev. C.T. Walker. Renamed Tabernacle Baptist Church two days later in August 1885, the church moved to Ellis Street. The cornerstone of the new church was laid in 1914. Rev. Walker and Tabernacle’s status attracted the support of northern philanthropists such as John D. Rockefeller, U.S. president William Howard Taft, and prominent African-American leaders such as Booker T. Washington. Under the leadership of Rev. Charles Spencer Hamilton, Tabernacle served as the staging point for the Civil Rights Movement in Augusta, holding mass rallies, nonviolent strategy meetings, and in April 1962 hosted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, Tabernacle continues to be a spiritual and cultural leader in the Augusta community.
Erected by the Georgia Historical Society, The Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, and Tabernacle Baptist Church
###
ABOUT THE GEORGIA HISTORICAL MARKER PROGRAM
The Georgia Historical Society (GHS) administers Georgia’s historical marker program. Over the past 20 years, GHS has erected over 250 new historical markers across the state on a wide variety of subjects. GHS also maintains the more than 2,100 markers installed by the State of Georgia prior to 1998. Online mapping tools allow users to design driving routes based on historical markers, and a mobile app helps visitors locate and learn about markers nearby.Visit georgiahistory.com for more ways to use Georgia’s historical markers and experience history where it happened.
ABOUT GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Georgia Historical Society (GHS) is the premier independent statewide institution responsible for collecting, examining, and teaching Georgia history. GHS houses the oldest and most distinguished collection of materials related exclusively to Georgia history in the nation.
To learn more visit georgiahistory.com.