Does the name Clover Haven Church resonate with you? The Clover Haven Church stands as more than just a building. It represents faith and community.
To truly understand Clover Haven Church we must journey back in time. We will explore the intertwined history of Dallas and the Black community. New Hope Baptist Church is deeply connected to this story.
In 1873 seven Black families founded New Hope Baptist Church. It became the first church in Dallas organized entirely by African Americans. They first met in a founding family’s home near Fairmount Street and Munger Avenue. Soon after they moved east of the future Central Expressway.
Reverend Allen R Griggs became the pastor in 1874. Under his leadership the church began to fulfill its promise of “new hope”. In 1875 Griggs started a grammar school for ex-slaves. By 1878 he had built the city’s first high school for freed children. That same year he also launched the state’s first African American newspaper.
The Negro Ladies Reading Circle was founded in 1892. Eight teachers were involved. Two of them were members of New Hope. In 1893 the Colored State Baptist Convention held a conference at the church. They discussed the progress of Black people since the Civil War.
Under Reverend A S Jackson the church expanded its influence. Jackson was the church’s longest-serving pastor. He regularly invited nationally known African Americans to Dallas. Booker T Washington WEB Dubois and soprano Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones all visited. Concert violinist Joseph Douglass also came. The church also encouraged African Americans to register to vote and pay their poll taxes.
Many New Hope members became leaders. Six members even had schools named after them. Griggs Park is named after Reverend Griggs. Frederica Chase Dodd helped found the Delta Sigma Theta sorority at Howard University. She became one of Texas’s first Black social workers. Maynard Jackson Jr became Atlanta’s first African American mayor. His grandfather and father were both New Hope pastors. A Maceo Smith served on the NAACP’s national board. He also became an assistant regional administrator for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. A federal building was later named after him. L A Bedford became Dallas’s first Black municipal judge. Dr H Rhett James helped desegregate Dallas’s first lunch counter. He was the first African American to earn a master’s degree in theology from TCU.
As its 100th birthday neared the church moved. In 1968 it left its longtime home. It relocated from the northeastern edge of downtown to a new sanctuary three miles south. While its location changed its mission did not. The church continues to serve the community. Its “Showers of Blessing” ministry supports those in need.
The story of Clover Haven Church is a story of resilience. It is a story of community and unwavering commitment. It exemplifies how a church can shape a city. It creates a legacy of hope and progress.