CHARLOTTE — The first black mayor of Charlotte was celebrated on Sunday, but not for what he did in office.
Prior to his election, Mayor Harvey Gantt was an architect. More than four decades ago, he designed a plan to build First Baptist Church West off Oaklawn Avenue.
The church got a $150,000 grant from the African-American Cultural Heritage Fund, a two-year initiative to protect structures designed by black architects.
On Sunday, the congregation not only celebrated the grant but also former Mayor Gantt’s design.
“First Baptist Church was one of the first churches that I designed in a modernist architectural style, and they won a major commission grant because they have maintained this church in great shape for all those years,” Gantt told Channel 9.
First Baptist Church West was built 46 years ago, making it the oldest black Baptist church in the city.
(WATCH BELOW: The Carolinas get real about racial equality: A conversation with Charlotte’s first black mayor)
©2023 Cox Media Group
