Churches & Cemeteries Related to African American History in Oklahoma
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, Tatums
Bethel Missionary Baptist Church is located in Tatums, an all black town located in Carter County in Southeastern Oklahoma. Built in 1919, the church is the oldest remaining public building in that community. The church was listed in the National Register in 1994.
Calvary Baptist Church, Oklahoma City
Calvary Baptist Church has long been an important social and cultural center to the African American Community in Oklahoma City. Designed by Russell Benton Bingham, a graduate of the Tuskegee Institute and a member of the congregation, this two-story with basement, Gothic Revival style church is clad in brick with cast stone accents. Because of the size and location of the church, Calvary hosted a variety of community events and special guests, including Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1958, a group of young people from Calvary instigated a series of sit-ins at segregated restaurants in the downtown area. Participants would march from the church to the restaurant, sit and wait to be served, and then march back to the church afterwards. This effort continued for several years. By 1962, more than 175 local restaurants had opened their doors to blacks. During the sit-ins, the church received bomb threats, but the civil disobedience continued and was ultimately a success in the Civil Rights movement.
Central Baptist Church, Muskogee
Central Baptist Church, constructed in 1908, was the second oldest African American church in the Muskogee Area. This simple one-story building was a meeting place and social center for the black community. Listed in the National Register in 1984, the building was destroyed shortly thereafter.
Eastside Baptist Church, Okmulgee
The Eastside Baptist Church was built in 1921 to serve the African American community in Okmulgee. This two-story brick church features a domed cupola. It is the second oldest black Baptist church in Okmulgee and is one of the oldest black churches in eastern Oklahoma.
First Baptist Central, Okmulgee
First Baptist Central Church was built in 1915 and is the oldest black church in Okmulgee. In 1892, the New Hope Baptist Group organized a Baptist church in the community. But by the 1910s, this group had outgrown its facility. The new church became known as the First Baptist Central. This two-story brick building is accented by three-story brick towers at the southwest and northwest corners of the building.
First Baptist Church, Muskogee
Listed in the National Register in 1984, Muskogee’s First Baptist Church was the first local church to serve non-whites in the community. The church is very ornate in design with two brick towers.
Gower Cemetery
The Gower Cemetery near Edmond is the final resting place for approximately 200 individuals and is significant for its association with African Americans who settled in the area shortly after the 1889 Land Run. The area once housed a school and church, but those resources have since been destroyed. The cemetery is the only physical reminder of this rural African American community.
New Hope Baptist Church, Chickasha
Listed in the National Register in 2003, the New Hope Baptist Church was a center for the African American community in Chickasha during segregation and beyond. This simple brick building remains a symbol of the African American struggle for equality.
St. Paul's Church & Cemetery, Meeker vicinity
The St. Paul Baptist Church and Cemetery are significant for their association with the African American community in Lincoln County. These resources are the most tangible resources of a minority enclave that frequently lived in the shadows of the community. The church is a simple single-story vernacular building with a cross-gabled roof.
St. Thomas Primitive Baptist Church, Summit
St. Thomas Primitive Baptist Church in Summit, Oklahoma was significant in the early development of this all black town in Muskogee County. Built in 1922, this church is the oldest remaining public building in the community. It served as a social and religious center in Summit for many years.
Ward Chapel A.M.E. Church, Muskogee
The Ward Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in Muskogee is the oldest A.M.E. church in the area. It is also one of the oldest black churches in the community. Built in 1904, the church remains one of the oldest black social institutions in Muskogee. It was listed in the National Register in 1984.
Information provided by Kelli Gaston, Survey Coordinator/SHPO
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