Antioch Missionary Baptist Church
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (713) 652-0738
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Editorial Review for Antioch Missionary Baptist Church – by Paul Jennings
Overview
An important African-American historical landmark, the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church once sat in the heart of Freedman's Town, the oldest black neighborhood in Houston. Founded just months after the end of the Civil War by newly emancipated slaves, Antioch was the first African-American Baptist church in Houston and has played a prominent role in the local community for more than a century. In 1872, church members helped purchase the land for Emancipation Park on the corner of Dowling and Elgin so that Houston's annual Juneteenth celebrations could be held there.
Facts
The original church building dates from 1875 and was remodeled extensively in the 1890s. Surrounded now by towering office buildings and topped by a stalwart "Jesus Saves" neon sign, the church is one of the few examples of Gothic Revival architecture remaining in downtown.
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Insider Tips
The ExtrasYou can tour the 1870s-era home of the church's first pastor Jack Yates in nearby Sam Houston Park, where it was moved from its original Fourth Ward location in 1994.
Know Before You GoPeek inside the sanctuary to see the 100-year-old handmade pews still in use today.
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