Preferred Citation

Melinda Gales' African American church architecture collection, 1987-1999, Collection # M 70, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Melinda D. Gales, May 1999.

Biographical / Historical Information

Melinda Dawn Gales was born in Russellville, Arkansas in 1972. She earned a B.S. from Radford University in 1995 and an MA in Art History from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1999. In 1999, she completed her Master's thesis, "African-American Baptist Churches in Hanover County, Virginia, 1865-1900" in fulfillment of her degree requirements.

In the abstract of her thesis, she states that the purpose was "to examine rural African-American vernacular Baptist churches built in the years following the Civil War. The case study is centered around Hanover County, Virginia, because of the county's strategic location in relation to the capital of the Confederacy in Richmond."

Content Description

This collection consists of materials created or gathered by Melinda D. Gales in pursuance of her thesis research. The collection includes drafts of Melinda Gales's Master's thesis, "African American Baptist Churches in Hanover County, Virginia, 1865-1900"; research notes; photographs; slides; negatives; and several magazines or booklets dealing with African American Baptist church history and architecture in Richmond city and Hanover County, Virginia. Areas of research include date stones, distyle-in-muris, and portrait bust stained glass use in African American Baptist churches.

Churches included in this collection are:

Hanover County--Abner Baptist, Bethany Baptist, Chestnut Baptist, Ebenezer Baptist, First Union Baptist, Jerusalem Baptist, Mount Carmel Baptist, Providence Baptist, Second Union Baptist, Shiloh Baptist, and Union Baptist Church.

Richmond City--Ebenezer Baptist, Fifth Street Baptist, First African Baptist, Fountain Baptist, Fourth Baptist, Mt. Carmel Baptist, Mt. Tabor Baptist, Rising Mt. Zion, Second Baptist Church, Sharon Baptist, Sixth Mount Zion, Swansboro Baptist, First Baptist Church (Southside) and Second Baptist (Southside).

Arrangement

Folders are arranged alphabetically.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• African American churches
• African American churches -- Virginia -- Hanover County
• African American churches -- Virginia -- History -- 19th century
• African American churches -- Virginia -- Richmond