Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: This original sanctuary of the St. Joseph Missionary Baptist church is one of the few remaining institutional buildings directly associated with the old community of Hansontown. Originally a farming cooperative established for black Union soldiers, Hansontown was founded in 1866 by Dr. Daniel Dustin Hanson, a surgeon with the 34th Regiment, U.S. Colored Infantry. Following Dr. Hanson’s untimely death in 1868, the communal farm declined. African Americans, however continued to move to Hansontown, which developed into a large, dense neighborhood. The congregation for the St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church assembled in 1930 under the leadership of Reverend Harrison Edwards. After meeting in several locations, the congregation purchased this plot of land in 1940 for the construction of the sanctuary, which was completed in 1950. Nearly all of the buildings in Hansontown were torn down for urban renewal projects in the early 1970s, but the church remained. Under Reverend H.T. Rhim, the congregation moved to a new location in 1985. This building still owned by St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church, continued to be used for mission outreach.