Some of the oldest buildings in Atlanta have ties to the religious movement. After all, we are in the Deep South. But what about the most continuous congregations? What religious flicks have been here the longest?
In this article, I’ll show you Atlanta’s oldest churches, including when the congregations began and who led them.
Here Are Atlanta’s Oldest Churches
Identifying Atlanta’s oldest churches requires acknowledging the city’s history, particularly the devastation caused by Sherman’s March to the Sea in 1864, which destroyed most pre-Civil War structures.
The surviving churches or those rebuilt shortly after are among the oldest, with their founding dates and congregations often predating their current buildings.
1. Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Roman Catholic)
- Founded: 1840s (parish records begin 1846; first church built 1848)
- Current Building: 1873
- Location: 48 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SW, Downtown Atlanta
- Facts:
- Atlanta’s first Catholic church and the oldest church still standing in its original location within the city limits.
- Initially a mission served by priests from Augusta and Macon, ministering to Irish Catholic immigrants working on the Western and Atlantic Railroad.
- Dedicated in 1849 as the Church of the Immaculate Conception; the current Gothic Revival brick structure, designed by William H. Parkins, was completed in 1873 after the original wooden church was damaged during the Civil War.
- Father Thomas O’Reilly, pastor during the Civil War, convinced Union General Slocum to spare the church and nearby structures from Sherman’s burning of Atlanta, citing potential desertions by Catholic Union soldiers.
- Survived a major fire in 1982 and was restored by 1984; added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
- Notable parishioners included ancestors of Margaret Mitchell and Flannery O’Connor.
2. Big Bethel A.M.E. Church (African Methodist Episcopal)
- Founded: 1847
- Current Building: Late 1880s (rebuilt after earlier structures)
- Location: 220 Auburn Ave. NE, Sweet Auburn District
- Facts:
- Believed to be the oldest predominantly African American congregation in metro Atlanta.
- Formed when enslaved men and women were permitted to worship at the white Union Church; their first building, Bethel Tabernacle, was constructed in 1855.
- Served as a smallpox hospital during the Civil War and joined the A.M.E. Church in 1866.
- Known as “Sweet Auburn’s City Hall” for its central role in the African American community; hosted the Gate City Colored School, Atlanta’s first public school for African Americans, in its basement in 1879.
3. First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta
- Founded: 1848
- Current Building: 1914
- Location: 1328 Peachtree St. NE, Midtown Atlanta
- Facts:
- One of Atlanta’s earliest Protestant congregations, founded before the Civil War.
- The current Greek Revival building, designed by Arthur Neal Robinson, was completed in 1914, located near the Woodruff Arts Center.
- Features Tiffany-crafted stained-glass windows and a red stone Victorian Gothic sanctuary (completed 1906 at a prior site).
- Operates the oldest continuous religious radio broadcast in the world (since 1922) and was the first Atlanta church to broadcast services on television.
4. First Baptist Church of Atlanta (Southern Baptist)
- Founded: 1848
- Current Building: 1903
- Location: Originally downtown; now at 4400 N Peachtree Rd., Dunwoody (relocated)
- Facts:
- One of the first churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, founded in 1848.
- The 1903 Gothic Revival building, constructed with Stone Mountain granite and designed by Willis Franklin Denny, features the only known church bell to survive the Civil War in Atlanta.
- Relocated to the suburbs in the 20th century, reflecting Atlanta’s sprawling growth.
- Now a megachurch with a congregation of 16,000, led by Dr. Charles Stanley since 1971.
- Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
- Represents Atlanta’s strong Baptist tradition in the Bible Belt.
5. Atlanta First United Methodist Church
- Founded: 1847
- Current Building: 1903
- Location: 360 Peachtree St. NE, Downtown Atlanta
- Facts:
- Established as Wesley Chapel in 1847, it was Atlanta’s first Methodist congregation, with a bell used since 1850 that survived the Civil War.
- The current building, completed in 1903, is a Gothic Revival structure with the same historic bell.
- Built on land donated by Samuel Mitchell in 1845 for a Methodist school, which alternated as a worship space for various denominations.
- Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
- Reflects Methodism’s early influence in Georgia, tied to John Wesley’s legacy in Savannah.
Final Word
Atlanta has some of the oldest churches in the South. This list prioritizes churches with continuous congregations since the 1840s, verified by historical records…