City’s first Black pastor of a ‘megachurch’ and others still largely unknown

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

The Rev. James Henry Holmes remains one of the unsung notables of Jackson Ward who has not been recognized with a City Council resolution and honorary street sign.

In 1867, two years after the Union won the Civil War, Rev. Holmes became the first Black pastor of First African Baptist Church – a notable accomplishment since only white pastors led Black churches at the time.

A significant figure in civic affairs as well, Rev. Holmes helped create one of the first megachurches.

4th St., just across the street from Rev. Holmes.

Mr. Foster’s children and grandchildren would go on to make significant contributions to Richmond, such as the late Dr. Francis M. Foster Sr., a popular dentist and Richmond historian.

Sesha Joi Pritchett-Moon, executive director of the JXN Project that she and sister, Enjoli Moon, created to raise public awareness of Jackson Ward’s history as a center of the Black community, said the goal of the project was to arouse interest and get others to nominate people who deserved recognition.

At this point, the JXN Project has led a successful effort to honor 14 Jackson Ward residents who made contributions to Richmond, ranging from the creator of the first Black-owned bank in the country, the Rev. W.W. Browne, to the late social activist Lillie Ann Estes.

Rev. Holmes played a key role in social welfare endeavors outside the church.

He was a founder and first president of Colored Home of Richmond, which provided care for needy African-Americans at a time when government assistance did not exist.

He also served as president of the Friends’ Asylum for Colored Orphans, now the Friends Association for Children, and was an officer in the Educational and Historical Association of Virginia, a group that hosted discussions, lectures and educational programs on Black history.

Married at age 20, Rev. Holmes was sold to a New Orleans slave owner after he was accused of trying to escape when his father-in-law and mother-in-law successfully fled to freedom, the records indicate.

He survived a massive explosion of a steamboat in New Orleans that killed 49 people and returned to Richmond when his new owner moved to Virginia’s capital.

Rev. Holmes worked in a factory and then for a Black grocer, according to contemporary accounts, and bought his freedom in 1863 for $1,800 in Confederate dollars.

When Rev. Holmes died in 1900 just a few days before Thanksgiving, First African Baptist listed more than 4,000 congregants on its rolls and ranked, according to contemporary sources, as the largest church by membership in Virginia and among the largest in the country.

Before his death, Rev. Holmes lived with his family in a modest two-story home at 1000 N. 4th St., which for nearly 25 years has served as the headquarters of the Cobra I Motorcycle Club.

Rev. Holmes is not alone in failing to secure recognition.

Another unsung hero is Christopher F. Foster, a founder of the Astoria Beneficial Club, one of Richmond’s oldest civic and philanthropic men’s

Rev. Holmes, who was born enslaved in December 1826 in King and Queen County, faced significant challenges before rising to church and community leadership.

According to newspaper articles and other records of the time, he was one of 15 children of Delphia and Claiborne Holmes, and initially worked with cattle on the plantation of Judge James M. Jeffries.

At age 11, he was hired out to a tobacco factory in Richmond and was baptized at age 16 at First African Baptist, then located at College and East Broad streets on what is now the medical campus of Virginia

By then a deacon at First African Baptist, he was named assistant pastor in 1866 after the departure of the last white minister, the Rev. Robert Ryland, also president of the University of Richmond. Rev. Holmes secured membership support for the top post, which he held for 32 years.

Under his leadership, Rev. Holmes led the church in replacing its sanctuary, which first served as home to integrated First Baptist Church and then became First African Baptist in 1841 after its white parishioners left. The old building was torn down and replaced in 1877 with the current structure, which served the church until 1955, when First African Baptist relocated