Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. Bar Association

St. Mary First Missionary Baptist Church, established in 1924, holds the distinction of being the first Black church in Coral Gables. Originally meeting in an old schoolhouse on Thomas Avenue, the congregation moved to its present location in 1926 but faced destruction by a hurricane the same year. Under the leadership of the Rev. C.H. Williams, a new wooden sanctuary was constructed, followed by significant growth under the Rev. W.F. Tanner, who saw the congregation expand from 162 to more than 1,500 members by 1948. The Rev. Tanner initiated an ambitious building program, resulting in the completion of a masonry church in 1958, designed by architect J. Frank Bradley to resemble its predecessor.