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.
The Black Bottom House of Prayer. . 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 prayer in the 21st century.
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 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
Location. 28° 32.811′ N, 81° 23.586′ W. Marker is in Orlando, Florida, in Orange County. Marker 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.
2. The Black Bottom House of Prayer Marker and building
Credits. This page was last revised on January 7, 2019. It was originally submitted on January 6, 2019, by Tim Fillmon of Webster, Florida. This page has been viewed 426 times since then and 51 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.
