The church’s founding pastor, Rev. Thomas Parker, was born into slavery and rose to become one of North Carolina’s most influential Black religious leaders, helping to establish the Kenansville Eastern Missionary Baptist Association and contributing to the founding of three African American schools. Parker also was a key figure in the early history of the General Baptist State Convention of North Carolina, founded in 1867 as the General Association of the Colored Baptists of North Carolina. Elected vice president of the convention in 1881, he also presided over its Foreign Mission Board. For his work, a highway marker dedicated to Parker’s memory was placed on the grounds of the Warsaw First Baptist Church in 2023.

Tucked in the heart of Warsaw, the Warsaw First Baptist Church stands as a rare and beautifully preserved example of late 19th-century ecclesiastical architecture. Originally known as Bear Swamp Baptist Church, the structure—built in 1888—is not only a place of worship but also a monument to resilience, leadership, and African American heritage in the Reconstruction-Era South.

In 1945, the frame church was veneered with brick, giving it the exterior appearance it retains today. A square bell tower anchors the front façade, crowned with a distinctive low pyramidal roof that adds both height and character to the structure. The building’s form follows a cruciform plan, thanks in part to a 1,600-square-foot east-end addition completed between 1921 and 1922. This thoughtful expansion created a visually striking cross-shaped layout, balancing both function and form while respecting the original structure.

Inside, the church retains a remarkable degree of historical integrity. The main sanctuary is open and symmetrical, with proscenium/stage placed beneath a graceful, arched opening. On either side of this focal point are small, enclosed wings—once used as bathrooms and a pastor’s study—adding to the intimacy and utility of the space. The high ceilings are finished in diagonally laid beadboard, creating both warmth and a sense of vertical lift. Natural light pours in through the 1947 stained glass windows, casting soft, multicolored hues across the original woodwork and worn pews.

Perhaps most striking are the two balconies, accessible by discreet interior staircases, which sit above the sanctuary. Clad in the same beadboard as the ceiling, the balcony railings are adorned with simple diamond panels, a motif repeated in the ceiling’s center panels—evidence of the builder’s eye for quiet, refined detail. Overhead, original milk glass pendant lights hang from above.

Though the congregation has since moved into a modern sanctuary built next door, the Warsaw First Baptist Church endures — ideal for adaptive reuse. The property will require repairs to the historic standing seam roof, and updates to electrical, plumbing and HVAC, along with repair and restoration of its stained glass windows. A survey will be needed to appropriately identify the approximately one acre parcel.