Antioch Missionary Baptist Church
Antioch Missionary Baptist Church | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
Recorded Texas Historic Landmark | |
![]() The church's exterior | |
![]() ![]() | |
Location | 313 Robin St., Houston, Texas |
---|---|
Coordinates | 29°45′20″N 95°21′54″W / 29.75556°N 95.36500°WCoordinates: 29°45′20″N 95°21′54″W / 29.75556°N 95.36500°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1875 |
Architect | Richard Allen |
NRHP reference No. | 76002038[1] |
RTHL No. | 10597 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | December 22, 1976 |
Designated RTHL | 1994 |
Antioch Missionary Baptist Church is a historic Baptist church at 313 Robin Street in Downtown Houston, Texas. It was historically a part of the Fourth Ward.[2] As of 2012 it was the only remaining piece of the original Fourth Ward east of Interstate 45.[3]
Former slaves organized Houston's first African-American Baptist congregation in January 1866. They initially held services outdoors in the "Brush Arbor" along Buffalo Bayou.[4][5] The congregation built its first sanctuary in 1867 at the corner of Bagby and Rusk.[6]:2
It was built in 1875 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Jack Yates once served as the pastor of this church.[7]
Antioch Baptist Church's location in a long-established African-American neighborhood faced the encroachment of the growing downtown business district by the 1950s. Some of the buildings going up nearby after mid-century include the Allen Center complex and the Hyatt Regency hotel. The church property is a mere two blocks from the freeway and from Sam Houston Park.[6]:2
As of 2003 the church has a "Jesus Saves" sign. Rod Davis of the San Antonio Express-News said that the presence of the sign, which "still makes a footnote to the downtown skyscrapers," was "evidence that the oldest African American Baptist church (1875) in the city thrives as well as it did when the Rev. Jack Yates, a former slave, served as its first pastor."[2]
According to the church, the original pews, made by hand, are still used.[8]
In 2019 it became a UNESCO Slave Route Project site.[9]
See also[]
- Christianity in Houston
- History of the African-Americans in Houston
References[]
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Davis, Rod. "Houston's really good idea Bus tour celebrates communities that forged a city." San Antonio Express-News. Sunday August 3, 2003. Travel 1M. Retrieved on February 11, 2012.
- ^ Lomax, John Nova (July 3, 2012). "Lenwood Johnson: Trying to Save a Last Shred of Freedmen's Town History". Houston Press. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ Meeks, Tomiko (Spring 2011). "Freedmen's Town, Texas: A Lesson in the Failure of Historic Preservation" (PDF). Houston History. 8 (2): 42–44. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- ^ Snyder, Mike. "With its rich history, Fourth Ward is strong in symbolism." Houston Chronicle. Sunday January 9, 2000. A24. Retrieved on July 28, 2012.[dead link]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Texas SP Antioch Missionary Baptist Church". National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program. National Archives Catalog. Retrieved February 7, 2020. Slow download times.
- ^ "YATES, JOHN HENRY." Handbook of Texas Online.
- ^ Connelly, Richard. "The Eight Most Beautiful Churches in Houston." Houston Press. Wednesday November 9, 2011. 1. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
- ^ Rice, Jen (May 9, 2019). "7 Houston Landmarks Earn United Nations Historical Designation". Houston Public Media. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
External links[]
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. |
- 1875 establishments in Texas
- 19th-century Baptist churches in the United States
- African-American history in Houston
- Baptist churches in Texas
- Buildings and structures in Houston
- Churches in Houston
- Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas
- Churches completed in 1875
- National Register of Historic Places in Houston
- Recorded Texas Historic Landmarks
- Downtown Houston
- Fourth Ward, Houston
- Texas Registered Historic Place stubs
- Texas church stubs