Preston, Reverend Richard National Historic Person
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Cornwallis Street African United Baptist Church
(© Courtesy of the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church)
Address :
5457 Cornwallis Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2005-08-03
Life Date:
1791 to 1861
Other Name(s):
-
Preston, Reverend Richard
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2004-035
Importance:
Leading figure in Nova Scotia's Black community in the first half of the 19th century
Plaque(s)
No plaque in place, recommended location: Cornwallis Street African United Baptist Church 5457 Cornwallis Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia
The Reverend Richard Preston was the most influential figure in Nova Scotia's Black community in the first half of the 19th century. An ordained Baptist minister and the first pastor of this congregation, he travelled widely and founded numerous churches, strengthening social and religious ties among Black Nova Scotians. Renowned as a gifted orator, he formed the African Abolition Society in 1846, and was the driving force behind the creation of the African Baptist Association in 1854. Preston's pioneering leadership helped lay the foundation for an active and socially engaged Black community in Canada.