Shreveport's oldest Black Baptist church on state's most endangered sites list. Here's why
The first Black Baptist church established in Caddo Parish, once restored, is now plagued with structural deficiencies that could put it in danger of being completely lost.
The Antioch Baptist Church, located at 1057 Texas Avenue, Shreveport, was added to the state's most endangered sites list in 2022. The list is maintained by the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation and advocates to save threatened historic sites throughout the state.
Following the Civil War, Black Christians were given the freedom to leave the white churches of their slave masters and establish congregations of their own leadership. No longer would they have to worship while sitting in the rear of the white sanctuaries.
In Shreveport, a group of 73 former slaves received letters of honorable dismissal from the white First Baptist Church. With one Black minister and one white minister, this group established the First Colored Baptist Church on April 23, 1866, with Rev. John Jones as pastor. The church continued to grow and in 1871, the congregation changed its name to Antioch Baptist Church. Antioch is referred to as the "Mother Church" of several area congregations, including Avenue Baptist, Evergreen Baptist, Trinity Baptist and Union Mission Baptist.
In the late 1890s, renowned Shreveport architect N.S. Allen was commissioned to design a new sanctuary. The new brick church was completed in 1903 in the Romanesque Revival style with a curved balcony, bell tower, rose windows and pressed metal ceiling. The sanctuary was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
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Antioch Baptist Church has played a key role in the lives of many in Shreveport's Black community. Many of the church's congregants have held titles, such as educators, newspaper publishers, elected officials, military personnel, sports coaches and athletes, healthcare providers, attorneys and judges, owners of funeral homes, insurance companies, beauty and barbershops, government employees, entrepreneurs and religious leaders.
In January 1999, the congregation was forced to vacate the building, due to structural damage. They worshipped with other congregations until returning to their restored church in the fall of 2000.
Water infiltration is again causing structural settling, wood rot and damage to plaster walls, stained glass windows and other finishes. With a diminished number of congregants, the church is finding it difficult to maintain a safe and healthy building so it can provide more services to the community and continue to grow.
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This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Antioch Baptist Church on state's most endangered sites list
