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Places of pride

IU historian is pinpointing Indiana's historic African-American sites

BY CINDY DOBBS

Published: Feb. 28, 1995

When Gwen Crenshaw began her statewide search for historic African-American landmarks in 1993, she didn't know how many sites were still in existence. What she did know was that each had a story to tell .

"I've always said that these buildings speak," said Crenshaw, a historian and former instructor in the African-American Studies Department at Indiana University .

"They speak about an orientation, a world view, and a quest to achieve a census in society." After two years of research, Crenshaw has identified 225 African-American landmarks in Indiana, and her search continues .

"There are many more buildings than that, but these are the ones that were in existence for 50 years or more," she said .

Among the historical sites Crenshaw has unearthed is the city's first African-American hospital. It was founded in 1897 and was located at what is now 1034 and 1036 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr .

St. (Today the Greater Southern Baptist Church is at the address) .

The hospital was organized by the Sisters of Charity, an African-American women's group created in 1874 to provide health care for blacks who were denied service at whites-only hospitals .

The group, which eventually expanded into a network of women's lodges throughout Indiana, called its center the Sisters of Charity. It remained in existence as a hospital until after World War I .

Willis Mortuary, at 632-634 N. Dr. Martin Luther Jr. St., is another example of the city's rich African-American heritage .

The mortuary, founded in 1890 by Cassius M.C. Willis, is the oldest African-American mortuary in the state .

Other better-known historic sites in the city include the Madame Walker Urban Life Center, built in 1927; Bethel AME Church, 1869; and Crispus Attucks High School, built in 1929. All are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. All are Downtown or near Downtown .

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 414 W. Vermont St., is the second-oldest African AME church in the state. Its congregation began here in 1836 as a result of segregation, Crenshaw said .

The denomination itself was created in Philadelphia, when the Methodist Episcopal Church there forced blacks to sit in their own section during worship. Members of the new denomination eventually migrated West .

Crenshaw said the institutions that sprung up in the African-American communities were created out of need. When blacks were refused admission to places, they made their own buildings and organizations .

Schools were also places of legal separation .

Crenshaw said all-black schools were important not only for education, but also because they "manifested self-determination and self-identity of black people." School as community Two examples of segregated schools were Elden W. Diggs School No. 42, 1002 W. 25th St., and John Hope School No. 26, 1301 E. 16th .

"The point about these schools is that there was a community of students, teachers and parents," she said .

Crenshaw is completing a survey of sites for the Historic Landmarks Foundation. Her funding is provided through grants from the foundation and the Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology .

She said she gathers information about the landmarks from county historians, librarians and historical societies .

Marsh Davis, director of community services at the Indiana Historic Landmarks Foundation, said Crenshaw's research is meant to be an ongoing project .

"We'll continue to identify new places," he said. "The project is nowhere near done. We've got a lot of work yet to do on this." Unlike general surveys done by the Preservationist Society, the African-American survey was not based solely on historic architectural features .

"When you're talking about why a property is significant to a group of people, it's different. You have to get far below the surface of the brick and mortar and wood .

"That's what's been more challenging in this," said Davis .

Holding on to history Davis sees the project as a list of "properties where there is historic fabric to be preserved." "When we have a better understanding of why these properties are important, we can then set some preservation goals and objectives." A long-term goal of the project is to do a map of the sites for tourism and education .

Wilma Gibbs, program archivist at the Indiana Historical Society and editor of Indiana's African American Heritage, said buildings and documents give people a sense of pride .

"It's important for people to go back and view these buildings," she said .

"As good citizens, we're charged with being good caretakers of our history," she said. "People who care about their history will take care of it."

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