Historic Evansville

Baptisttown

AKA: Baptistown

Baptisttown was the name given to the surrounding neighborhood (now substanitally leveled) where Evansville\'s largest black community settled. congregated near the defunct W&E canal known by early 1880s as baptisttown black illiterate roughly 44% of evv black population 1880 centered at 8th and canal enclave known as baptisttown by 1890s 80% baptisttown - 8th and canal and lincoln liberty baptist Memorial Baptist Canal 8th/canal Liberty Baptist is the oldest extant black congregation in Evansville. As immigrants settled primarily around the church, the area became known as "Baptist Town." The church provided leadership in the religious, social, and political life of the city’s black community. predominately black streets canal between 5th and 11th oak between 6th and 8th lincoln beyond 7th gordon/douglas/bell/reilly/mitchell/church/sumner near old canal oak and chestnut alleys also baptistown

From the 1910s into the 1930s numerous properties in the neighborhood were condemned and ordered razed as part of a larger clean up effort. In 1936, the Public Works Administration (PWA) was involved in the construction of Lincoln Gardens, one of first federal slum clearance projects in the country lincoln-governor area Over the years this neighborhood had has significant loss of historical buildings but was added as a historic district in xxx which will help ensure its history is preserved

Baptisttown

View the map of the Baptisttown district

Research Notes

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Baptisttown Historic District

Baptistown walking tour