302 Main Street at Ries Road

According to St Louis County records, First Baptist is the oldest Baptist church west of the Mississippi River. The corner in which the church stands was once an agricultural center and slave trading post. The church was organized early in the first decade of the 1800s when the town of Baldwin was still a wilderness. In 1932, Judge Higgins of Baldwin issued an order to permit the congregation to build a house of worship.

Before that time, harassment from vigilantes had kept the Black congregation from meeting openly for worship. Church members are said to have gathered in a grape arbor and hidden under iron pots to keep from being overheard. They even strung ropes and wire fencing around the prayer area to deter horseback riding vigilantes just long enough for worshipers to slip safely away.

Per their website, the journey of First Baptist Church began with its first official charter in 1832, a milestone that laid the foundation for a resilient congregation. In 1853, the church expanded its presence by purchasing two lots at Main Street and Ries Road, further establishing its roots in the Ballwin community. By 1890, the men of the church secured land on Clayton Road to establish a cemetery, ensuring a lasting sacred space for generations to come. Progress continued in 1935 when electricity was installed in the original frame church, modernizing the building for the time.

During the 1950s and 60s, church members dedicated themselves to raising funds for a new sanctuary, a dream realized in 1962 when the church was built at 302 Main Street, coinciding with the celebration of its 130th anniversary. The church continued to grow in both mission and outreach, opening the Christian Learning Skills Center in 1991 to serve the community’s educational and spiritual needs.

A new chapter began in 2000 with the final service at the Main Street location on Sunday, October 1, followed by the groundbreaking ceremony at 206 Ries Road on November 11, 2001. Through every season of challenge and transformation, the church has stood firm on its foundation of faith, embodying the scripture: “...and upon this rock, I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” — Matthew 16:18.