Sandwich First Baptist Church

The Sandwich First Baptist Church is one of the oldest Black churches in Canada that are still in operation. It was built in mid-1800s to serve the increasing number of Underground Railroad settlers, and was one of once many such Black border-town churches that provided refuge and assistance to new arrivals.

The congregation formed several years prior to the physical building being constructed. The Crown donated one acre of land to the congregation, and the construction itself was

done by the members. It is a brick building with a gable roof, and the bricks were modeled with clay from Detroit River. While originally in Sandwich, the church has been within the City of Windsor since the 1935 amalgamation.

Sandwich First Baptist Church was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1999. It is a monument to many such churches built along the border by black congregations to accommodate the growing community and it directly led to the formation of the Amherstburg Regular Missionary Baptist Association.

Today, the church still stands at its original location, and you can visit it as part of the Sandwich Heritage Walking Tour.

Sources:

Sandwich First Baptist Church. (2022, April 8). Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island. Retrieved January 18, 2023.

Sandwich First Baptist Church National Historic Site of Canada. (n.d.). Parks Canada. Retrieved January 18, 2023.

Sandwich Heritage Walking Tour. (n.d.). Windsorplanning.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved January 18, 2023

Molnar, Dale. (1997, Jul 12). Remembering The Past. Windsor Star (1959-2010)

O’Connor, Laurel. (1994, May 11). Former Slaves Founded Sandwich First Baptist Church. Windsor Star (1959-2010)

Janzer, S. (2022, Feb 2). One of the oldest active Black churches in Canada is right here in Windsor. CBC News.