Historic Saint Teresa Catholic Church

Overview

Colonel Nelson Tift, who founded the city of Albany, initiated construction of the church in 1859. The structure’s bricks were crafted by enslaved individuals on a plantation located near Newton, Georgia. Work on the building was interrupted by the onset of the Civil War, leaving the interior unfinished. During the war, it served as a hospital for injured Confederate soldiers. Following the end of the conflict, construction resumed, and the church was officially dedicated to St. Teresa of Ávila on November 19, 1882, by Bishop William Hickley Gross of Savannah. In 1975, it was recognized and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it stands as the oldest existing church building in Albany.