Phillips, Thomas [Antioch Colored Christian Church, Lexington, KY]

This entry comes from the outhouse blog dated 12/10/2014 by Kopana Terry, and from the Peter Brackney article on the Kaintuckeean website dated 07/24/2013.

Thomas Phillips was the slave of John Brand (1775-1849) in Lexington, Kentucky.  With assistance from Brand, Thomas Phillips was able to purchase a building for his church, the Antioch Colored Christian Church. Beginning in April of 1851, Thomas Phillips lead services in the new church building, which had been an old carriage factory at the corner of West Fourth Street and Morris Alley. Thomas Phillips was 68 years old when he died August 11, 1858 at the home of W. Brand [source:"Thomas Phillips," Kentucky Statesman, 08/20/1858, p.3, column 6]. His church is listed as "Christian, col'd s s e 4th by Upper and Mulberry" under the heading "COLORED CHURCHES" in Maydwell's Lexington City Directory, for 1867 on p.18. 

The congregation soon outgrew the church building and it was razed in 1874 and a new building was constructed in its place. The congregation continued to grow and eventually moved to a building on 2nd Street. With the move, the name of the church was changed to Second Street Christian Church. In 1880, the church purchased a new building and located at 146 Constitution Street [source: see the East Second Street Christian Church website]. In 1881, Rev. H. M. Ayres was the pastor [source: Williams' Lexington City Directory, for 1881-82, p.13].

The church was referred to as Second Street Christian Church in the Lexington Leader newspaper until the mid-1920s when the name was changed to East Second Street Christian Church. The earlier building that was constructed on 4th Street was used by Thomas Underwood Dudley, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky; he formed a new church in the building. Today, the 4th Street building is used for storage and the sell of antiques.