Antioch Baptist Church
Antioch Freewill Baptist Church332 Elizabeth St, Sewickley, PA At one time Sewickley supported five predominantly Black congregations, Antioch Freewill Baptist Church is one of the three that is still in operation today. Organized in 1890 with the leadership of Rev. C.W. Frazer, it was the first African American Baptist church in Sewickley. The church began meetings in small dwellings around town, and after a devastating fire to one of those locations, the church purchased the land they occupy today. Originally two houses stood here and in 1918-19 the church you see today was built. In the early days of this congregation, baptisms were held in the Ohio river at Chestnut Street. A vital part of the community, as all the churches are, Antioch has offered more than worship and ministry through the years. A place to gather, celebrate, and enjoy friendship and family, this congregation is thriving today with the leadership of Rev. Travis C. Coon.Black History of the Time (1890-present) Around the time that community members were gathering to form the Antioch Freewill Baptist Church here in Sewickley, the National Baptist Convention of the United States of America was organizing. This time period, soon after Reconstruction, ushered in a large number of Black churches being formed across the north and south. Many churches began with meetings in homes and parks, with the members eventually funding the purchase of a property or building on donated land. Black churches are integral to their community, being not only a place to worship, but an important ingredient in the social lives of their members. Congregations across America offered social opportunities and events, locations to meet and organize for political issues, social welfare and humanitarian programs, fundraising for education or healthcare, in some cases even becoming a school or missionary. Often the Black church would be the only place to offer refuge and support to African Americans dealing with daily instances of oppression and racism.http://antiochfwbaptistsewickley.org/
Fleming Brothers Barber Shop
Fleming Brothers Barber ShopWolcott Park, 502 Beaver Street, SewickleyIn this prominent corner of town, before Wolcott Park, there once stood buildings with small businesses. This was the location of one of the first two Black owned businesses in Sewickley. Both were barber shops, opened circa 1885, and were the only two Black businesses in town for quite a few years. John Howard’s shop was on Chestnut Street and the Fleming Brothers had their shop here in the heart of the village. Both barber shops only cut white patrons' hair in the beginning of their time in business, which was common of Black barbers in the late 1800s and had roots in the long held status of being in service to white people. After a time, this building was sold, and the Fleming Brother’s Barber Shop moved into their home on Thorn Street. At that time, the brothers started cutting the hair of African Americans in town.Black History of the Time (1885-1890s)The history of Black owned businesses began before the end of slavery in 1865, but Emancipation allowed Black business owners to operate within the legal structure, offering more opportunity and greater prosperity. Throughout the Reconstruction Era and afterwards the number of Black owned small businesses expanded dramatically. This is the period that Sewickley saw its first Black business owners as well. Barber shops were among the most common types of businesses owned by Black Americans during this time, along with insurance companies, banks, retail stores, funeral homes, and restaurants.
Butler’s Valley Catering Company, The Flatiron Building
Butler’s Valley Catering Company, The Flatiron Building514 Beaver Street, SewickleyJohn D. Butler came to Sewickley in 1890. While working as a chef at one of the local hotels, he soon became an entrepreneur, founding the Butler Brothers ice-cream store and caterer, also known as the Butler's Valley Catering Company. Run by his two sons, James and Carroll, the store operated for 29 years in the uniquely triangular building. Patterned after a New York structure of the same name, Sewickley’s Flatiron Building has been identified as a historic landmark by the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. The building was not only home to Butler’s Valley Catering Company, but the large Butler family lived in the top floors as well. Only fresh cream sent in daily from Caughey Farm in Lyonsville was used for the Butler’s ice cream, which was delivered to Sewickley and Ambridge. Goodies, including hot chocolate, hot coffee, soda from the fountain and sandwiches, oysters, taffy, peanut brittle, homemade Saratoga, and potato chips were available there as well. The small restaurant provided foods and ice cream for eating in, delivery, and catering services to affairs such as weddings. Black friends and family, however, were not permitted in the dining room. Instead the proprietor’s wife, Hattie, would invite them as guests upstairs, where the family lived, to enjoy their ice cream there. Black History of the Time (1890-1930) During Reconstruction, Americans lived through a short period of integration. Soon the Long Depression, deep racism and white resentment towards African Americans who were becoming successful brought on the Black Codes and Jim Crow Laws in the south and similar practices throughout the north. In 1896, the Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that segregation was constitutional, declaring that the 14th amendment applied only to political and civil rights, not to ‘social rights’. This ruling established the idea of ‘separate but equal,’ which plagued American society for decades. Black owned businesses in these early days often would serve white customers and therefore were not permitted to serve African Americans. This was common until the early 1900s when white customers began to no longer patronize Black business.
Smitty's Bar
Smitty's Bar428 Walnut StreetSmitty’s Bar was one of the two beer gardens located on Walnut Street. Beer Gardens like Smitty’s during the 1960s and 70s provided an adult social atmosphere for local folks from Sewickley and their distant neighbors from Pittsburgh. Smitty’s was a happening spot and always jumping! There was loud music and plenty of people talking and laughing. An exciting and fun hangout in the heart of Sewickley that produced great times for its patrons, it was a place to relax and enjoy friends. Clarence E. Smith Jr, also known as Smitty, was the owner of both beer gardens and the only Black tavern owner in Sewickley. He was the brother of Larry Smith of Larry’s Auto Repair Shop on Ohio River Boulevard, and the oldest of 9 siblings. All were raised in Sewickley by Pauline and Clarence Smith Sr. The Smith family lived on Frederick Street and since Larry was a mechanic, there were always lush cars and motorcycles parked around the house.Black History of the Time (1960s-1980s) A century after the Emancipation Proclamation Black Americans were still subject to discrimination in many facets of their lives. By the 1960s the Civil Rights movement was at its peak, with the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and the passage of the Civil Rights and the Voting Rights Acts. These turbulent times saw violence, protests, assassinations, and young men being drafted into war. The great accomplishments and new laws of the Civil Rights movement did not end racism and many problems facing African Americans did not improve. There was a turn in ideology toward a broad embrace of Black culture and identity. The Black Power movement fought with a focus on Black Americans creating their own economic, social and political powers. The Black is Beautiful movement inspired pride and honor in one’s Blackness and an embrace of Black culture and identity. The Black Aesthetic movement encouraged Black artists to centralize Black life and culture into their work, influencing visual art, poetry, literature, music and theater of the time.
Walnut Street Veteran Flags
Walnut Street Veteran Flags400 Block of Walnut Street, SewickleyThe veteran banners gracing the 400 block of Walnut Street all depict African American members of the armed forces. These are William “Butch” Randolph, Army; Calvin William Massie, Army; Calvin L Massie, Air Force; Francis Ivan Smith, Army; James O. Smith, Army; Robert M. Rucker Sr., Army; Thomas E. Brannon Jr., Army; Walter Jacob Brannon, Army; James E. Lee Jr., Army; James E. Lee Sr., Army; Floyd L. Blair, Army; Floyd Blair III, Army; Michael P.D. Shannon, Army; and Edgar Grey, Air Force. The Black portraits that are hanging on the flags are a representation of the much greater number of Black members of the military in the village of Sewickley and the Quaker Valley. Other Black discharged service people’s flags hang around the village and are among those of the general population. But those on Walnut Street are hung as a testament to the patriotic spirit, and willingness to serve among the Black community in Sewickley Valley and the surrounding area. Black History of the Time (Ongoing Service)African Americans have been fighting for this country, and many making the ultimate sacrifice, since the American Revolution. Their stories are made famous through Black fighters such as the Buffalo Soldiers, the Harlem Hellfighters, and the Tuskegee Airmen, but all men and women of color who fought were heroes, often sacrificing for a country that did not offer them equality and respect. Through the years these soldiers have been recipients of all of the highest military honors including the Medal of Honor, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, the Air Force Cross, and the Purple Heart. The current highest-ranking officer who is African American is the Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Q. Brown. The highest-ranking African Americans ever were former Secretary of State Colin Powell serving as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and, of course, the former Commander in Chief President Barack Obama.http://www.troopbanners.com/Sewickley/
Black Business District
Black Business District400 Block of Walnut StreetThough there were Black owned businesses throughout Sewickley and the region, this strip of Walnut Street between Broad and Thorn was a hub for Black businesses from the early 1900s to about the 1940s. The majority of the buildings at the time were wood frame, unpainted and only one story tall, but they are remembered fondly and with pride by those who patronized them. Some of the businesses included: Diggs’ Barbershop and Pool Room, Dr. Randolph’s dentist office, Dave Starr’s restaurant, Campbell’s Barbershop, Mrs. Harris’ cleaning and alterations shop, Mr. Higgenbotham’s shoeshine and hat cleaning parlor, A & A plumbing, and Smitty’s, which had two locations of beer gardens. Other Black owned businesses of note that were located in other parts of town were C. G. Wallace Garage and H. W. Blockson and Son Hauling. Cleve Wallace ran a variety of businesses but was most known for fixing and selling bicycles and motorcycles and offering car rentals and a taxi service. Horace Blockson founded his business in 1907 with a horse and wagon and through the years, with his sons, built it into the most consistent African American employer in Sewickley with 51 men on payroll by 1945. Black History of the Time (1900-1940s) In this time period that saw thriving Black owned businesses in Sewickley, throughout the country similar Black business districts were forming, along with entire neighborhoods and towns that were predominantly Black and very successful. The economic security and success of these businesses was fueled by segregation and a growing African American population. At this time, white owned businesses would not serve Black customers or even allow entrance to their businesses. Harsh and racist Jim Crow Laws were dangerously enforced in the South, but Northern states were also imposing strict segregation policies. This created business opportunities for Black entrepreneurs to serve their Black communities. Many white Americans resented the successes that African Americans were gaining, especially in the south, where tragedies like the massacres in Rosewood, FL and the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, OK were carried out. Eventually, the Great Depression and the end of segregation aided in the slow decline of the number of Black owned businesses in the 1930s and 40s. The rate of Black business creation went up and down throughout the years since and has seen a strong increase in the last decade.
“Colored” YMCA
“Colored” YMCA411 Walnut Street, SewickleyThough the Sewickley Valley YMCA offered recreational activities since the late 1800s, Black residents were not allowed to use the facilities. After years of being left out, the Black community opened their own YMCA on Walnut Street, known as the “Colored” YMCA or the Walnut Street YMCA, in 1913. The dedication and opening was a distinguished celebration complete with three days of activities: programming, services and speakers. The “Colored” YMCA was among the first organized recreational sites for the Black community in Sewickley and was conveniently located one block from the Sewickley Public School that once stood on Broad and Thorn Streets. Children could safely walk from school to the “Colored” YMCA to participate in after school activities and programming. The Public School Pavilion, behind the school building at the edge of the playground, was an extension of the recreational activities of the Black community as well, as it was the only gymnasium facility for African Americans until around 1960 when the Sewickley Community Center built it’s annex. The “Colored” Y continued in service to the Black community until 1924, when it was damaged by storm and flooding. Now occupied by Norman’s Cut N Edge Barbershop, the two adjacent buildings were the original home of the St. Matthews A.M.E. Zion Church and its parsonage.Black History of the Time (1913-1924) The first African American YMCA was established in 1853 by Anthony Bowen. Though it was popular with the Black community early on, financial and social stresses stalled memberships to the organization. But by the late 1800s, the movement grew and there were chapters in many major cities. The Center Avenue YMCA in the Hill District started in 1883, was officially chartered in 1910, and was the only other YMCA serving African American Men in Western Pennsylvania at the time that Sewickley’s “Colored” YMCA was founded. By the mid-1920s the African American YMCA had 28,000 members nationwide.
St. Matthew’s AME Zion Church
St. Matthews A.M.E. Zion Church345 Thorn Street, SewickleyThe oldest African American church in Sewickley, St. Matthews African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church began as a mission with six members in 1857. The Rev. Daniel B. Matthews initially held services in a log cabin on Centennial Avenue, then on Walnut Street, before this plot of land was purchased through community donations in 1868 and a small frame structure built. In the 1880s a house was donated and moved to this location for use as a parsonage. Then in 1911 the original frame church was moved to 411 Walnut Street and work began on building the present brick church you see today, which was dedicated on March 3, 1912. During its early years as a mission and through the civil war, the church served as an operator on the underground railroad. Church members and other abolitionists often posed as hunters bringing food and supplies to fleeing slaves in game bags. They aided as much as they could for the long journey north or helped newly freed people settle in the area. St. Matthews A.M.E. Zion church is as integral to the community today as it was during its founding, offering ministry, safety, solace, and joy in community for 163 years. Today the congregation is led by Reverend William Rankin.Black History of the Time (1857-present) At this time in America, slavery was still practiced widely throughout the southern states. It began over 400 years ago and did not end as a legal institution until the passage of the 13th amendment in 1865. And indeed, the first African Americans in Sewickley arrived as slaves, servants, and freed slaves. Many Pennsylvania slave owners freed their slaves in the two decades after the revolutionary war, pushed by the state’s Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery passed in 1780. The large Quaker population, along with others who moved to abolitionism by their religious beliefs, and the lessened economic need in the region, were the foundation of a movement in the state toward ending slavery. The last record of a person held as a slave in Pennsylvania was in 1847. By the mid-1800s, Pennsylvania became a state with an established free African American community. Black activists, along with Quakers and other white abolitionists, organized against slavery, distributed anti-slavery pamphlets, and contributed to the operations of the Underground Railroad. Pennsylvania became known as a welcome relocation state for freed slaves, but the largest groups who fled through the Underground Railroad settled in Canada. The numbers are unknown, but maybe as many as 100,000 enslaved people found their freedom through the Underground Railroad.
Triumph Baptist Church
Triumph Baptist Church201 Frederick Avenue, SewickleyBorn at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Anderson, Triumph Baptist Church of Sewickley resulted from meetings of community members to organize a Missionary Baptist Church. Leadership and laymen from the Allegheny General Baptist Association joined to worship and organize beginning in 1905. The church then met in a small frame building on leased property on Centennial Avenue. After the purchase of the lot at Frederick and Ferry Streets in 1908, another small frame building was erected in 1911. The congregation continued to grow and the Triumph Baptist Church building you see today went up in 1924. The present edifice was completed and the prior, smaller building demolished. The church did important missionary work through the years and was a generous community supporter. The Triumph Baptist Church congregation has once again outgrown its edifice. Triumph Church built a new building and moved to Mt. Nebo Road outside of Sewickley proper in 2013. Triumph Church is now led by Pastor Craig Giles.Black History of the Time (1905-2013) As stated earlier in this tour, Sewickley’s Black community once supported five predominantly Black congregations. Most were founded in the beginning of the 20th century. The creation of a Missionary Baptist Church presented another organization that would offer strong support for the entire community. With a focus on missionary ministries local and foreign, education, health care, literacy, social justice and economic development, Missionary Baptist Churches create strong connections with their communities through a variety of programs and welcoming ideals. Triumph offered many auxiliaries, clubs, missions, programs and outreach to the community. All of Sewickley’s churches, their support and love, offer a glimpse into the importance of the Black church to communities of color.
Sewickley Community Center
Sewickley Community Center15 Chadwick Street, SewickleyThe Sewickley Community Center has played a vital role in Sewickley and surrounding boroughs for more than 80 years. After the flood closed the “Colored” YMCA, members of the Black community were in need of a recreational facility that would admit African Americans. In 1935, a local group of young Black men organized and formed The Young Men’s Club. This group, with the support of the Sewickley Valley Ministerial Association and a group of prominent local citizens, joined together and established the Sewickley Colored Community Center. In 1937 the SCCC, which was meeting temporarily at the Triumph Baptist Church, opened its doors with recreational programs for African Americans in the Sewickley Valley region. In 1955 the SCCC moved to its current location. On Chadwick Street, the Center became a neighbor to the American Legion Post 450 and the Y-Field baseball park. The dead-end street became a haven for Blacks and a safe place for African Americans in Sewickley. At its inception, the Center primarily served African Americans, but has always been open to ALL people. For decades it has served as the focal point for the African American community offering instructional and recreational athletics, martial arts training, crafts, a bridge club, Girl and Boy Scout Troops, and an early childhood education and development programs; as well as social gatherings and activities including parties, bus trips, a bowling league, the annual “Come on Home” reunion, and performances by Diana Ross and the Supremes, Jr. Walker and the All-Stars, and other headliners from the Motown Era. As years have passed, the Center now serves a multi-racial, economically diverse array of families, individuals, and young people who are drawn by the Center’s distinct programs and offerings. The Center’s Community Food Pantry is open twice a month. The Center also provides a full-time day care, a before- and after-school program, and a fully-staffed outdoor swimming pool, which is an annual highlight of the Center. It is the only outdoor pool in Sewickley proper and does not require a membership fee. Many youth sports organizations such as QV Recreation Association and QV Wrestling Association utilize the outdoor field and beautiful renovated gym for practices and competitions. The “Amazing” mural on Chadwick Street was done by Baron Batch, a Pittsburgh artist and former Steeler. The mission of the Sewickley Community Center is to provide affordable activities, opportunities, and space to meet the diverse needs of the Sewickley Valley Area.Black History of the Time (1935-present) The depression hit the African American community hard and as America began recovery in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Africans Americans were left behind in many ways. The New Deal offered a series of programs and reforms to aid in American’s financial recovery, but most were entrenched with discrimination. Denial of mortgages to Black families and redlining, the CCC segregated camps, the Social Security Act excluding jobs traditional held by African Americans, the AAA (Agricultural Adjustment Administration) acreage reduction program that put over 100,000 Black farmers off the land they worked, as well as the NRA (National Recovery Administration) employing whites first and authorizing lower pay scales for Black workers, are all examples of how the New Deal did not work for African Americans. Another important program for the financial recovery in this time was the GI Bill. While there were many Black veterans who served this country, they were unable to benefit from this legislation because of vast inequalities in the bill’s implementation, leaving Black veterans out of most benefits. The racism and discrimination that was entrenched in these programs fueled the racial wealth gap and the institutional racism American is still dealing with today.https://www.sewickleycommunitycenter.com/
Walter Robinson American Legion Post 450
Walter Robinson American Legion Post 450 20 Chadwick Street, SewickleyNamed for Sewickley’s first Black man to die as a result of a WWI injury, the Walter Raleigh Robinson American Legion, Post 450 was founded in 1922. The U.S. American Legions War Veterans’ organization provided respite for members of the armed forces and for those coming home from conflict and war. Its founding is attributed to Valley Col. Robert Way and senior commander of Sewickley Post No. 4 and comrade Harry Winston of Coraopolis. The legionnaires first held meetings in homes and churches, then in 1944 acquired this historic building. This was the old Sewickley Railroad Station built in 1887. In 1929 the railroad tracks were moved to make way for Ohio River Boulevard and the building was loaded onto flatcars and moved to its present location. The Legion became a social hub for Blacks in the area, as well as Pittsburgh. The Pavilion added to the back of the Legion was first used for boxing tournaments. In the 1940’s through the 1960’s it was the place where big named bands played, Dizzy Gillespie, Cab Calloway, Buddy and Ella Johnson, Ruth Brown, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Amons, Bill Doggett, “Bull Moose” Jackson, Wood Herman, Count Basie, Dinah Washington, Louis Jordan, Stan Getz, Jackie Wilson, Ahmad Jamal, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Lloyd Price. It was also used by the community for wedding receptions, school proms, local dances, Christmas parties, and the Come On Home festivities. The Legion had a drill team, organized by Jesse Stotts, named the Walter Robinson American Legion Post 450 Drill Team. They march in the Sewickley and Leetsdale annual parades, as well as in Pittsburgh and across the state. In 1965, they marched in Washington D.C. during the American Legion National Convention down Pennsylvania Avenue. Black History of the Time (1922-2013) The American Legion organization was founded in 1919. Posts began forming all over the country quickly and the first posts dedicated to serving Black veterans began in that same year. With segregation practiced throughout the country, the American Legion left it up to each state to decide if they would allow African Americans to join the existing posts. We did not find evidence of one that was integrated. In turn, Black veterans chartered their own posts throughout Black neighborhoods across the country. These posts often became integral parts of the Black communities where they were located. The story of Walter Robinson American Legion post 450 is a familiar one. Often being the only location in town where Blacks could gather safely for large events, the posts became the centers for social activities in the communities.
