First Zion Missionary Baptist Church of Bluffton, a predominantly African American church that traces its origins to 1862, received the historical marker with several prominent politicians in attendance.
Originally known as First African Baptist Church, the founding pastor was a former slave from Georgia named Abraham Murchison, who also served as the first mayor of Mitchellville, a freed black community on Hilton Head Island.
Rev. Bennie L. Jenkins Jr., pastor of First Zion MBC said, “This marker will stand as a testament to our commitment to God and our mission to share His love with all mankind.”
The honor was given as part of the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office’s South Carolina Historical Marker Program, with the church being the sixth site in Bluffton to receive a marker.
According to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, while the marker program “has been state-managed” it is “locally driven.”
The group depends on the citizens of South Carolina to propose, document, fund, and maintain state historical markers.
Debbie Szpanka, spokesperson for the Town of Bluffton, says the community “is known for its Old Town Historic District, in which each building tells its stories of our past neighbors and how those buildings shaped people’s lived experiences since the1800s.”