1410 Richland Street
Site of First Calvary Baptist Church
Following the Civil War, African Americans enjoyed freedom of worship for the first time and began to form congregations separate from white churches. Calvary Baptist, under the leadership of Reverend Samuel Johnson, a former slave, was created in the basement of Celia Mann’s home, known today as the Mann-Simons Site. Purchasing a lot in 1875 on Richland Street across from the cottage, Calvary’s congregation began construction of its official church building that same year. The structure at 1410 Richland Street was razed to make way for later redevelopment.
