The Mount Zion Baptist Church of Athens, Ohio

At the turn of the 20th century, a community of free-born and formerly enslaved Black Americans built the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Athens, Ohio as a place of spiritual solace and social connection. Today, the church stands as a landmark of Black American architecture in the Ohio River Valley, a region once renowned for Black entrepreneurship, education, and community building.

In 2013, the Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society formed to restore the historic church as a thriving community hub once again, with a mission to support the contributions, history, and ongoing concerns of Black Americans everywhere.

The story of Mount Zion tells a larger story about the ongoing pursuit of racial and spatial justice in the State of Ohio, the Ohio River Valley, and the nation.

Mapping the Ohio River Valley

The Ohio River flows 981 miles westward from its confluence in Pittsburgh to its mouth on the Mississippi River in Cairo, Illinois. One of the nation's largest and most powerful rivers, it forms the borders of five states. Its watershed stretches into fifteen states.

Vital to the history of the United States, the geography of the Ohio River Valley comprises several overlapping social systems. Its cultural landscape is full of historical sites associated with Indigenous, White, and Black settlements, and the manufacturing of coal, ceramics, iron, and other industries.

Geography of Black Settlement

In this map, we showcase four communities in which there were notable examples of Black economic, cultural, and social achievement.

Albany: Landmark in Black Education

This section showcases the village of Albany, which was a major hub for Underground Railroad activity and a pioneer in the education of Black Americans in southeastern Ohio.

The story of Mount Zion is one of Black community building amidst and against forces of violent oppression and dislocation.

Building Black Athens

This section narrows its focus onto Athens and its Black community building efforts during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The stories that follow represent only a fraction of the social and cultural networks created by Black Athenians, built through formal and informal practices.

Hotel Berry: Landmark of Black Entrepreneurship

The careless demolition of historic Black sites has been all too common within American towns and cities. The Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society is working to stave off the erasure of Black American histories.

Other Stops in the Black Landscape of Athens

In this map, we showcase several other sites within the Black community of Athens during the early Mount Zion years.

Mount Zion: A Social and Spiritual Hub

The church sits at a prominent intersection in Athens, a testament to the collective agency of the Black community at the turn of the century.

Building a Beacon of Light

Mount Zion's Architecture

Building Our Future by Preserving Our Past

The Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society is working to restore a social hub for the Black community in our region and country. Our efforts are part of a larger, regional network of community stewards.

The following map showcases some of these related resources.

The Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society invites you to join us in answering a vital question:

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