Biennial Report for Board Members - Flipbook - Page 13
The Way Forward
In 2024, the Foundation plans to continue its efforts to locate, collect, document, preserve and
present artifacts that will present a more complete story of the church, its descendants and the
impact it has had on African American life, culture and experience in Williamsburg. With funding
provided by the City of Williamsburg, we will work with the 1717 Design Group to provide a
museum quality experience for our visitors. The 1717 Design Group is a unique multidisciplinary communications and design firm that focuses on shaping visitor experiences for
the built environment. The firm has earned the reputation as one of the leading environmental
graphic design firms in the United States, recognized for the planning and design of innovative
and engaging cultural exhibitions, collateral graphics, signage systems, and retail settings.
1717 has developed projects for museums, visitor centers, regional heritage and tourism
partnerships, government agencies, and corporations that vary greatly in size, scope, and
content.
The work will continue in 2025 with a targeted completion date of 2026 in advance of the 250 th
anniversary of the historic church. The Foundation will work with First Baptist Church9s History
Ministry and a team of designers, architects and historians to complete and install re-designed
contemporary displays and exhibition spaces in order to share the church9s history and to
improve the visitor experience. The Foundation received a check in the amount of $21,400 from
the Dominion Energy to fund 50% of the estimated cost to update the 1956 wiring in the church.
A grant in the amount of $250K, supplemented by a written commitment of additional funding
support in the amount of $50K from the First Baptist Church History Ministry was received in
2023 to launch the project in January 2024. Once the final designs are approved, and detailed
architectural drawings and measurements are completed, the fabrication of exhibit and display
cases will be completed with artifacts and story boards.
The Foundation will continue its work with its partners to capture and present oral histories from
its descendant members and the descendant members of its daughter and granddaughter
churches, which form the earliest communities in Williamsburg and extend to Queen Street
Baptist Church in Hampton, Virginia. Work to collect and present artifacts, photographs,
records, etc. from all of the churches will shift to an aggressive schedule with a targeted
completion date in October 2026,
