Our History
It is known that Zion Union Baptist Church was organized one hundred and eighteen years ago on March 16, 1895, by a group of church people formerly of the Mount Zion Baptist Church. Having no appointed place to worship, this pioneering group, pledging themselves to God’s glory, honor, and service, held their first services in the old firehouse building on West Main Street.
During the period between 1902 and 1907 plans were made to erect a new church building. The plans were realized, and the building was erected upon a hill on Fourth Street, N.W. in 1907.
This marvelous church building, conceived and erected by former slaves and the sons and daughters of slaves, 42 years after the end of the great Civil War and Slavery, would serve the community for 57 years, through the end of 1964. This building could have served well for many years but was deemed to be in the way of urban renewal and was acquired by the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority in 1964 and razed.
When it became apparent that the Zion Union church building on Fourth Street, N.W. would become a victim of Charlottesville’s urban renewal plans of the 1960’s and that the demolition of the Zion Union church building was imminent, Zion Union’s Official Board began looking toward the future and purchased land for a future church building on Preston Avenue.
The last worship and communion services were held in the old Fourth Street church building on December 13th, 1964.
Beginning December 20, 1964, ZUBC worship services were held in the Jefferson School auditorium. This arrangement lasted for one year and eight months. On April 25, 1965, ground was broken on the new Preston Avenue site.
On June 19, 1966, the cornerstone was laid. Finally, on August 28, 1966, the doors to the new Zion Union Baptist Church building were opened to the waiting congregation. On that morning, the congregation and friends of Zion Union assembled at the old church site for a pilgrimage to Preston Avenue and the new church.