Diamond Hill Baptist Church was established in 1872, seven years after slavery was abolished. The current church, a Gothic Revival-style building, was completed in 1886. Under the pastorate and leadership of the Rev. Dr. Virgil A. Wood from 1958 to 1963, the church became central to the Civil Rights movement in the Lynchburg area as the base of operations for demonstrations, sit-ins, and rallies seeking to end segregation. The church also hosted speeches by notable figures in the national Civil Rights movement. Efforts to achieve racial equality continued under the 1964–2000 pastorate of the Rev. Dr. Haywood Robinson Jr.