Martin Luther King Once Spoke at this Abandoned Civil Rights Movement Church
This old abandoned church was built in 1911, serving the local African American community for almost 100 years.
Throughout its history, this church played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement
The pastor who oversaw the church in the 1960s was one of the four original co-chairs of the United Freedom Movement, which challenged discriminatory labor practices and segregation of Public Schools.
In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech to hundreds of local residents outside of the church.
Among the urban exploration community, the church is a very popular destination due to the purple colour of the sanctuary, making for unique photo opportunities.
The church was purchased in 2006 by another local religious community organization, but they only owned the building for a few years.
In 2014, after years of abandonment, neglect and decay, the church was then purchased by a foundation that has plans to restore, preserve and develop the church into an affordable, multi-purpose community center.
The organization that purchased the church in 2014 states that the Construction plans include repairing the character and defining features of the sanctuary, rehabilitating the basement and gym as event space, renovating classrooms for community use, and creating an outdoor garden for the neighborhood to enjoy.
They still own the building and say that their plans are still a go and they are in the process of redeveloping the building.
