A church on Chicago’s West Side with roots tracing back to the Civil War era has been designated a city landmark. The City Council voted Wednesday to grant landmark status to Original Providence Baptist Church, located at 515 N. Pine Ave.
According to city records, Original Providence is the third-oldest Black church in Chicago and holds the distinction of being the oldest Baptist church on the West Side. While its current building was constructed in 1902, the congregation did not move into this location until 1971.
The church’s beginnings date to 1863, when formerly enslaved people who had arrived in Chicago via the Underground Railroad began gathering for worship in the Baptist tradition. Early meetings took place near Lake Street and Racine Avenue within an African-American settlement that existed before the Civil War.
Throughout its history, Original Providence moved several times as it grew and as urban renewal projects forced relocations through eminent domain. In 1866, members left Union Park Baptist Church and established their own site at 314 N. Bell Ave. In 1910, under Rev. S.L.M. Frances—a Jamaican-born leader educated at Oxford University—the congregation built a new church at 217 N. Leavitt St., remaining within Chicago’s historic West Side Black community.
That building was seized by eminent domain in 1959 during urban renewal efforts, prompting another move to a site at 1857 W. Jackson Blvd., which was later demolished in 1969 for construction of the Eisenhower Expressway and Malcom X City College.
The congregation settled into its current Austin neighborhood home in 1971. The structure features neo-Tudor architectural elements and includes a school added in 1928.
City officials emphasized that both the building’s historical significance and the congregation’s legacy contributed to its landmark designation. The church played a role in supporting Black involvement in politics, including organizing support for Ulysses S. Grant’s second presidential campaign.
In recent years, Original Providence made news by appointing Daniel Jones as its youngest leader ever at age 37; he continues to serve as pastor.
For more information about Original Providence Baptist Church, visit its website.
