Calvary Baptist Church
1616 West 2nd Street
Calvary Baptist Church was founded in 1879 by a group of formerly enslaved Africans who migrated from Louisa County, Virginia, and settled in Linwood, Pennsylvania. Seeking freedom, including the freedom to worship, they initially met for prayer in homes. With support from Samuel A. Crozer, a local philanthropist, they purchased land and built a church in Chester, PA.
The congregation has a rich history and is instrumental in Chester’s struggle for social justice. The Reverend Dr. J. Pius Barbour was Calvary’s most renowned and longest tenured Pastor, serving from 1933 to 1974. Reverend Barbour helped shape the city’s long arc toward civil rights justice. As Pastor, he mentored and trained seminarians of Crozer Theological Seminary and welcomed as Sons of Calvary many seminary students, such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1948-1951). Today, the church remains active through worship, education, and community service.
