Through the years, Second Baptist Church has sought to maintain the sense of friendliness and warmth symbolically implied by the fact that the church originated in the living room of Mrs. Mary S. Ellington's home on Harding and Porterville Streets in Petersburg.
The church had its inception on September 8, 1854, when a group of men and women met in the lecture hall of the old Market Street Baptist Church (which later became the First Baptist Church) and adopted resolutions favoring the formation of a second Baptist church. On December 13, 1854, the formal meeting to launch the new church took place in Mrs. Ellington's living room.
Eleven members constituted the original group. The church's first location was on Byrne Street and the community knew the church as the Byrne Street Baptist Church. The name later changed to Second Baptist Church after the church moved its location to Sycamore and Oak (later Halifax) streets.
The church has occupied three locations: Byrne Street, Sycamore Street, and its present location on Johnson Road. Twenty-four pastors have served the church during its history, and the church has ordained seven men and one woman to the gospel ministry.