Title	Northern Heights Presbyterian Church: west elevation
Creator(s)	Gautreau, Abigail R., photographer
Date	2013-12-12
Property name	Northern Heights Presbyterian Church
Additional property name	Northside Baptist Church
Property type	Church
Community Name	Selma, Dallas County, AL
Description	Color photograph of the rear/west elevation of Northern Heights Presbyterian Church, photographer facing southeast. The rear elevation is two-story red brick with a side gable roof. The elevation includes ten openings divided into five bays. Each bay includes a six-over-six double-hung wood window on each story. The addition backs onto a paved driveway that runs along the length of the building. The west end of the north elevation is party visible, including six openings divided into three bays. The two bays on the west end include a window on each story matching the windows on the the west elevation. The bay on the east end includes a matching window on the second floor with a white single-leaf door with a small awning on the first floor.
Historical Notes	The congregation of Northern Heights Presbyterian Church formed in 1900 at the Sylvan Street Presbyterian Church under the Reverend Lucius Deyampert. Deyampert left the church to become a missionary to the Congo under William H. Sheppard, an African American missionary who would later become known for his activism opposing to the treatment of the Congolese by rubber companies. The Sylvan Street Presbyterian Church was the second black Presbyterian Church established in Alabama. The congregation grew through the first half of the twentieth century, and moved to the Northern Heights building in June 1960. This building was originally the Northside Baptist Church. The Sylvan Street Church, located at Sylvan Street (now Martin Luther King Street) and Philpot Avenue, is still extant, though in very poor condition. Like many churches at that time, Northern Heights had an active congregation and hosted many volunteer activities for women and children. The church also operated a kindergarten and low-level elementary school, as did many other black churches. Later, starting in the 1970s, the church operated a daycare center for low-income families for fourteen years. Northern Heights is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).
Collection Name	Southern History Documentary Projects
Subject-LCSH	African American Churches -- Tennessee African American neighborhoods Baptist church buildings Brick churches Church buildings Church buildings -- Alabama Civil rights -- United States Historic buildings Presbyterian church buildings Windows
Type	Still image
Genre	Photograph
Contributing Institution	Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University
Copyright status	Copyright of the Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University
Conditions for use	Credit Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University Reproduction permitted for non-profit educational and research purposes only
Digital Publisher	Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University

Northern Heights Presbyterian Church: west elevation

Description