Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church
The Tuskegee Civil Rights and Historic Trail
Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church developed out of the Tuskegee Baptist Church, originally organized in 1842. Although both whites and blacks (slaves) initially worshipped at the same location, the white congregants built a new facility in 1858, leaving the blacks to worship in the existing structure. In 1872. the black congregation moved to a new location at Olive Hill, located approximately where the Tuskegee Fire Department now stands. In 1912, they relocated to the present site. Seven years later, 1919, a new facility was constructed and modeled after Tuskegee University's first chapel. Deacon C.H. Evans, head of Tuskegee University's Building Construction Department, along with Tuskegee students built the basic structure, a scaled-down version of the Tuskegee chapel. Mount Olive was remodeled with a brick-veneer and three-story annex in the 1950s. During the civil rights movement, the church held mass meetings for the Tuskegee Civic Association. Many important civil rights pioneers were members and are listed on the reverse.
Reverse
Mt. Olive is the oldest black Missionary Baptist Church in Tuskegee, AL. Churches
this page online
Mt. Olives past has been filled with many outstanding pastors, members, and leaders. It is significant to note that Booker T. Washington, founder of Tuskegee University, was among its outstanding members. Mt. Olive's notable members also include:
1963, Detroit Lee, father of Anthony Lee, chief protagonist in pivotal
court case Lee vs Macon County Alabama Board of Education
1967, Lucius Amerson, first black Sheriff (Macon County, Alabama) in
the South since Reconstruction
1972, Johnny Ford, first black Mayor (Tuskegee, Alabama)
1981. Ora Manning, first black female Interim Superintendent of Macon
County, Alabama
1986, Amelia Peterson, first black female appointed City Council
member (Tuskegee, Alabama)
1994, Grethelyn Averhart, first black female Chief of Police
(Tuskegee, Alabama)
Erected 2019 by City Of Tuskegee, Tuskegee University, Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation. (Marker Number 13.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Churches & Religion
Location. 32° 25.879′ N, 85° 41.18′ W. Marker is in Tuskegee, Alabama, in Macon County. Marker is on Cedar Street south of Railroad Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 410 Cedar Street, Tuskegee AL 36083, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Samuel "Sammy" Leamon Younge, Jr. (approx. half a mile away); Macon County Legal Milestone (approx. half a mile away); Macon County Confederate Monument (approx. 0.6 miles away); Brief History of Tuskegee, Alabama (approx. 0.6 miles away); 119 Westside Street (approx. 0.6 miles away); "Trade With Your Friends" (approx. 0.6 miles away); Tuskegee High School (approx. 0.7 miles away); Site of the Tuskegee Female College (approx. Ύ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tuskegee.
Please note #1 on the map, Amelia Boynton Robinson marker is actually on Franklin Road, NNW of Tuskegee University, near Boy Scout Circle.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 29, 2020. It was originally submitted on September 20, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 580 times since then and 114 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 20, 2019, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
