First Baptist Church of Belmar

You are at the First Baptist Church of Belmar, stop #28 on the Belmar Treasure Trail. Established in 1894, it is the first Black church and the first Baptist church in Belmar and has stood on this very site since 1900. Although its original year-round congregation was small, the church held services twice a day during the summer season to accommodate the numerous domestic workers who attended church while working in the resort town at that time. The Little Church by the Side of the Road, as it has been affectionately referred to by its congregation, has weathered its share of ups and downs, including a devastating fire in 1951 and the 2012 Super Storm Sandy. First Baptist Church has been resilient through it all, as it continues to follow God’s Holy Word.