In 1957 there was as survey of churches in the Northwest Urban Renewal Area, which included Shaw, Downtown, and the area near Union Station. To learn more about the 1957 Church Survey read my previous posts, The Uniqueness of the 1957 Church Survey and Church Survey Northwest Urban Renewal Area October 1957.
I think this is the last of the 1957 Church Survey churches.
Shiloh. At the corner of 9th and P St NW, it has been a major player in the neighborhood, for good and ill. When I think of the buildings left to rot on their block, fighting liquor licenses (no need to support, that’s like asking the Mormons to support a coffee shop, no.) and parking. They also host VIPs who need to check off ‘visit to African American church’ on their list. I have fond memories of muckty-mucks visiting from the Clintons, the Bushes and Mayor for Life on his post prison tour.
Let’s look at Shiloh in 1957:
CS 13 Shiloh Baptist by Mm Inshaw
I feel I should mention the main building burnt down in the 1990s maybe. So that explains why it looks so new.
Shiloh, like Greater New Bethel Baptist, is a large African American church with over a thousand members showing up to services every Sunday. Also like Greater New Bethel, very few of their members live in the NW Urban Renewal Area (see above map). So it has been a commuter church for over 60 years. But it had no parking.
I wonder where all those members parked?
Before I get myself in trouble with the aunts who attend Shiloh, I’m going to stop.