First Nazareth Baptist Church was founded in 1877. The first edifice was located at 1520 Pickens Street and relocated to the present Gervais Street site in the Historic Waverly neighborhood in 1914. The church membership has grown exponentially to approx. 5,000 members, and had played a major role in the black community, providing spiritual leadership, educational and life-skills support, and charitable services. In the 1960s, First Nazareth served as a place for civil rights meetings and organizational support.