Springfield, MO—Today is the first day of Black History Summer Academy 2020 June 8-12. The theme is Hidden Gems of Springfield, Missouri —“The Undefeated” The Journey Continues.
Due to COVID-19, the academy will not be able to meet physically at Drury University but will highlight a different Hidden Gem. Today they will highlight Gibson Chapel Presbyterian Church which was recently demolished but will live on in the history of Springfield, Missouri.
Gibson Chapel was formed as the first Negro Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1865 by a freed slave named Reverend Peter Lear. In 1891, a new brick church was built on the corner of Washington Ave. and Pine St
After the 1906 Easter weekend lynching of three innocent African American men on the square, many families sought shelter in Gibson Chapel. After World War II five of Gibson’s choir members formed a singing group (the Philharmonic Quintette) that went on to regional and national fame. Though the building has been demolished, the Undefeated Legacy of one hundred and fifty-five years of service and soul-winning is yet alive. Here is to one hundred and fifty-five more years.
by Gwen Marshall, Equity & Access Specialist at Springfield Public Schools
by Gwen Marshall, Equity & Access Specialist at Springfield Public Schools
