Callahan in Orlando in Orange County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

The Black Bottom House of Prayer

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, June 22, 2016

1. The Black Bottom House of Prayer Marker

Inscription. In the summer of 1916, a few Black families from the Deep South settled in an area of Orlando called the Black Bottom, so named because when it rained, water settled in the area and remained so long that residents built canoes for transportation. As was the custom of the time, the Black families worshiped in neighborhood homes and shared their soul food. In 1925, the Black Bottom House of Prayer was constructed as the home of the Pleasant Hill Colored Methodist Episcopal congregation, later renamed Carter’s Tabernacle CME. It was financed through a stock purchase from the Orange County Building and Loan Association. Thirty shares were purchased at $100 per share, for a total of $3,000. The building was designed in the popular Spanish Mission Style with exterior stucco finish, arched doorways, casement windows, and a red-tiled roof. The thick brick and stucco walls were thought to have a cooling effect in the Florida sun in the days before air conditioning. This church building, used by Justice for All Ministries led by Pastor Dana “Action” Jackson, continued its African American mission through the power of

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prayer in the 21st century.

Erected 2015 by Justice for All Ministries, National ADHD Foundation, Inc., The Byrd Law Group, P.A. and the Florida Department of State. (Marker Number F-854.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.

Location. 28° 32.811′ N, 81° 23.586′ W. Marker is in Orlando, Florida, in Orange County. It is in Callahan. It is at the intersection of Bentley Street and North Westmoreland Drive, on the right when traveling west on Bentley Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 921 Bentley Street, Orlando FL 32805, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Florida.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in

The Black Bottom House of Prayer Marker and building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Tim Fillmon, June 22, 2016

2. The Black Bottom House of Prayer Marker and building

what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Original Jones High School / Callahan Elementary School (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Barrier Breakers (approx. 0.6 miles away); Mount Pleasant Baptist Church (approx. 0.6 miles away); Hankins Building (approx. 0.6 miles away); The Mighty Trees of Lake Lorna Doone (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Lynching of Arthur Henry / Racial Violence in America (approx. ¾ mile away); Wells' Built Hotel (approx. ¾ mile away); 1885 Bell (approx. 0.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Orlando.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Holden-Parramore Historic District (was approx. ¾ mile away but has been confirmed missing).

Credits. This page was last revised on July 28, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 6, 2019, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,040 times since then and 69 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 6, 2019, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.