Peter Durrett facts for kids

Peter Durrett (born around 1733, died 1823) was an important Baptist preacher. He was born into slavery but became a leader in his community. With his wife, he founded the First African Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky by 1790. This church was very significant. It was the first black church west of the Allegheny Mountains, the first black Baptist church in Kentucky, and the third oldest black church in the United States. By the time Peter Durrett died, his church had almost 300 members. The historic church building, built in 1856, is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Peter Durrett's Early Life

Peter Durrett was born into slavery on a large farm called a plantation. His father was Captain Duerrett, a white man from Caroline County, Virginia. Peter learned many skills from his mother and other enslaved people. When he was about 25 years old, he became a Christian and started preaching as a Baptist "exhorter." This happened during a time called the First Great Awakening. This was a religious movement in the late 1700s when many people in the South became Methodists or Baptists.

Marriage and Family Life

Peter Durrett married an enslaved woman who lived on a different farm. In 1781, he learned that her owner planned to move to Kentucky. Peter asked Captain Duerrett for help. Captain Duerrett arranged for Peter and his wife to stay together. This allowed them to prepare for the long journey to Kentucky.

Journey to Kentucky

In 1781, Peter and his wife traveled to Kentucky with a group of people led by a Baptist preacher named Joseph Craig. This group was part of "The Travelling Church," which moved from Spotsylvania, Virginia. Peter helped guide hundreds of people on this difficult 600-mile trip through the Appalachian Mountains. Because he helped the military leader, Captain William Ellis, Peter became known as "Old Captain" among the travelers. People believed he knew the route well, perhaps from an earlier journey.

Founding a Church

Once in Kentucky, Peter Durrett became a Baptist preacher. Even though he was never officially ordained, he was a respected leader. In 1784, he and his wife were members of Joseph Craig's church near Lexington.

Later, Peter and his wife moved to Lexington. They were often hired by a pioneer named John Maxwell, who helped them build a small cabin. Here, Peter began preaching to other enslaved people. In the early days, they met in different places. Peter's wife was also very important in helping the church grow. She helped find places for people to meet and encouraged them in their faith.

Peter Durrett asked the local Baptist leaders to officially ordain him, but they did not. However, they told him to "go on in the name of their common Master," meaning they approved of his preaching. Slowly, Peter and his wife gathered about 50 people, and Peter baptized most of them. As the group became a church, Peter began to lead the Lord's Supper.

By 1790, they had officially founded the First African Church of Lexington, now known as the First African Baptist Church. This was a huge achievement! It was the first black church west of the Allegheny Mountains, the oldest black Baptist church in Kentucky, and the third oldest in the United States. The early members were mostly enslaved people, but more and more free black people in Lexington joined. The church grew to about 300 members during Peter Durrett's lifetime. In 1815, the church's leaders, who were all free black men, bought their first property for a place of worship. Peter Durrett lived until 1823, when he was nearly 90 years old.

After Peter Durrett died, Rev. London Ferrill became the new pastor. London Ferrill was a free black man whose wife had bought his freedom from slavery. During his more than 30 years as pastor, Ferrill helped the church grow to 1,820 members by 1850. This made it the largest church in Kentucky, for both black and white people. Unlike Durrett, Ferrill was officially ordained by a white Baptist church in Lexington. The leaders of that church agreed to accept the people Peter Durrett had baptized into Ferrill's congregation without needing to baptize them again.