In 1899, Lewis Colson was appointed as the first minister of Bethlehem Baptist Church.
Lewis and Irene Colson sold the deed
In 1897 Lewis and Irene Colson sold the deed for the land to build Bethlehem Baptist Church for $1.
Sarasota’s first black settler
Lewis Colson came to Sarasota with his wife Irene. He drove the first stake into the ground to assist Richard Paulson in platting the town of Sarasota at Five Points in 1885. Sarasota was platted by the Florida Mortgage and Investment Company, a Scottish entity.