Honoring Our First Pastor: Rev. Robert S. Laws

Honoring Our First Pastor: Rev. Robert S. Laws

As part of Mount Zion Baptist Church’s year-long 160th Anniversary Celebration in 2026, we are honoring the legacy of our first pastor.

For 123 years, Rev. Robert Simon Laws has rested in an unmarked grave. Born into bondage, he escaped from slavery and embarked on a life of ministry, dedication to education, and civic leadership that eventually took him to Pittsburgh, where he died in 1903. As part of our anniversary celebration, we are honoring his memory with a permanent memorial.

Recommittal and Dedication Details

  • Date: Friday, July 10, 2026
  • Time: 10:00 a.m.
  • Location: The Homewood Cemetery (Section 15, Division 4, Row 15, Grave 5), 1599 S. Dallas Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217
  • Program: The gravesite ceremony will be led by MZBC Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. André D. Ivy and will feature greetings and music from local Pittsburgh representatives.
  • The public is invited.

Rev. Robert S. Laws Highlights

  • Escape from Slavery: Born into slavery in Middlesex County, Virginia around 1837, he escaped in 1863, prompting a $100 reward for his capture.
  • First Pastor at Freedman’s Village: He served from 1866 to 1875 as the first pastor of The Old Bell Church at Freedman’s Village (present day Arlington National Cemetery), which later became Mount Zion Baptist Church.
  • Church Builder: He was the first pastor of Virginia Avenue Baptist (Colored) Church in Washington, D.C. from 1875 to 1891. The church is still active as Friendship Baptist Church.
  • Dedication to Education: He taught at Freedman’s Village and graduated from Howard University in 1875.
  • Prominent Civic Leader: In 1883, he was among the featured speakers at Washington, D.C.’s Emancipation Day celebration, a group that included orator Frederick Douglass.
  • Family: In 1866, he married Patsey Williams Laws, who served as a nurse at Abbott Hospital in Freedman’s Village and as Mount Zion’s first First Lady.
  • Legacy in Pittsburgh: His final years of ministry took him to Pennsylvania, where he edited a local Black newspaper and pastored Mount Olive Baptist Church in Pittsburgh’s historic Lower Hill District until his death in May 1903.

Can’t Make It to Pittsburgh? Please check back after the event! We will post photos of the dedication ceremony.

For questions, please contact the Mount Zion Baptist Church Anniversary Committee at
mzbcanniversarycommittee@mountzionbaptist.com