DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say — and this one's got some real weight to it. We're talking about First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church, right there in the Fifth Ward of Houston, and the story behind those walls goes all the way back to 1891. Now, before you can understand how this church came to be, you have to reckon with what came before it.
In 1890, a flood hit Shreveport. Left people without homes. Left them without jobs.
And so a congregation of displaced Shreveport residents found their way to Houston's Fifth Ward, carrying whatever they had left — which, as it turns out, included their faith. They established Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in 1891, and it is, to this day, one of the oldest African American Baptist churches in the area. From the very start, the people in that pew knew something about starting over.
Their first pastor, Reverend Judge P. Parker, led that small congregation in houses — people's own houses — for three years. Three years of front-room services and borrowed chairs, before they finally rented the Colored Odd Fellows Hall on McMillan Street.
The church got a nickname during those early days that stuck like summer heat: folks called it The Louisiana Church. You can imagine why. Then in 1898, the congregation purchased property in the 2900 block of Providence Street.
And the first thing they built on that land? A brush arbor. Out in the open air, under the Texas sky — that was their sanctuary.
But they weren't done yet. In the early 1900s, they raised up the first permanent edifice: a large stone structure, with a baptistery. Stone.
Permanent. A declaration. By 1947, they were growing, so they purchased land adjacent to the church and built a two-story brick building — dedicated to education.
Then in 1953, the Providence Street property was sold to the City of Houston, and the congregation moved to its current site on Lyons Avenue. Now here's where the story takes a turn that deserves a slow breath. The congregation's new worship facility was designed by John Saunders Chase, Jr. — Texas' first licensed African American architect.
Think about that. A congregation born from displacement, designing their future with the hands of a history-maker. When that new building was finished in 1955, the church was renamed First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.
The name had grown to match the institution. And the institution kept growing people worth knowing about. Louise Ozelle Martin, the church's official photographer, chronicled Houston's black society and opened a photography school.
Catherine Adams did such significant work with community organizations and area youth that the city named a park in her honor. And in 1985, the B. H.
Roberts Institute was established — named for the late pastor who had served this community for thirty-five years. First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church. Born from a flood, built on faith, still standing in the Fifth Ward — now serving a community that looks a little different than it did in 1891, but still calling that same corner home.
What the marker says
Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church was established in 1891 in the Fifth Ward of Houston. It is one of the oldest African American Baptist churches in the area. The congregation was made up of displaced Shreveport residents, who were forced to leave after the flood of 1890 left them without homes or jobs. The first pastor, Rev. Judge P. Parker, led his small congregation in houses for three years until they rented the Colored Odd Fellows Hall on McMillan St. The church was commonly referred to as “The Louisiana Church.” In 1898, property was purchased in the 2900 block of Providence St. and a brush arbor was constructed on the site. The first permanent edifice, a large stone structure with a baptistery, was erected in the early 1900s. In 1947, the congregation purchased land adjacent to the church and built a two-story brick building for educational purposes. The church moved to its current site on Lyons Ave. in 1953 when the property at Providence St. was sold to the City of Houston. The congregation’s new worship facility was designed by John Saunders Chase, Jr., Texas’ first licensed African American architect. The church was renamed First Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church when the new building was finished in 1955. Noted church members include Louise Ozelle Martin, the church’s official photographer, who chronicled Houston’s black society and opened a photography school; and Catherine Adams, who had a city park named in her honor due to her work with community organizations and area youth. In 1985, the B. H. Roberts Institute was established to honor the late pastor who served the community for 35 years. The church still serves as a place of worship for the now diverse Fifth Ward community. (2014)