St. Paul's Pilgrim Baptist Church is Minnesota's first and oldest African American Baptist congregation. It was founded by Reverend Robert Hickman and a group of escaped slaves from Boone County, Missouri, who called themselves the Pilgrims and were smuggled up the Mississippi River with the help of the Underground Railroad, the War Eagle steamer, and Union soldiers. The current building, built in 1928 under the leadership of Reverend Lee War Harris, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since its inception, Pilgrim has played a central role in the life of St. Paul's Rondo community.
