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The Hilton honors renowned Richmond minister

George Copeland Jr. | 1/11/2024, 6 p.m.
A nearly 120-year-old sculpture of one of Richmond’s storied Black religious leaders is available for public viewing in the lobby …
In late November, the bust of the late Rev. John Jasper of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church was placed in the downtown Hilton Hotel as the church undergoes renovations. The bust of Rev. Jasper is probably among the oldest forms of art for a black man in Richmond, and even the state of Virginia, says church historian Benjamin Ross. Photo courtesy Benjamin Ross

A nearly 120-year-old sculpture of one of Richmond’s storied Black religious leaders is available for public viewing in the lobby of the Hilton Hotel in Downtown Richmond.

In late November, the bust of the late Rev. John Jasper of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church was placed in the hotel along with a synopsis of the pastor’s life and the creation of the sculpture.

Sixth Mount Zion, built in 1890 at 14 W. Duval St., is undergoing renovations.

The hotel was selected after discussion with various museums found they didn’t have the space to house it among current and planned programs and exhibits, according to the church’s historian Benjamin Ross, who also works at the Hilton.

Born July 4, 1812, Rev. Jasper founded Sixth Mount Zion along with 10 others in 1867 in an abandoned stable before moving to the Duval Street location.

Rev. Jasper became famous for delivering a sermon, “The Sun Do Move,” in 1878. The sermon expounds on his belief in the fundamental truth of the Bible and the power of God. His dramatic speaking style and vivid imagery attracted national attention, and he gave his sermon in cities throughout the Eastern United States for many years. Rev. Jasper continued to preach at his church until a few days before his death at age 88.

Rev. Jasper led Sixth Mount Zion until his death in 1901, earning acclaim nationwide for his sermons and helping serve and improve the spiritual and social health of the Jackson Ward community for years.

The bust was created by African Methodist Episcopal Minister and Morris Brown College Trustee Joshua Brockett, who completed it in 1903 and presented it to the Sixth Mount Zion congregation on Jan. 26, 1904. The congregation hopes to keep the Jasper bust at the hotel through Black History Month in February.

This marks the second time in history the Jasper bust has been displayed outside of Sixth Mount Zion. In 1988, the Smithsonian Institution featured the sculpture as part of the “Climbing Jacob’s Ladder” exhibit, which explored the rise of Black churches in cities on the East Coast.