About

Address: 5100 James Avenue North

Neighborhood: Shingle Creek

Construction Date: Unknown (moved onsite in 1968)

Contractor: Unknown

Architect: Unknown

Architectural Style: Vernacular with Gothic Revival influences

Historic Use: Church

Current Use: Church

Date of Local Designation: 2017

Date of National Register Designation: N/A

Area(s) of Significance: Social history and Neighborhood identity

Period of Significance: 1923 - 1968

Historic Profile: The property is associated with the religious and social history of the Shingle Creek African American community. The early African Americans that settled in this community were former slaves and the children of former slaves who had moved from the south seeking a better life. This small community was geographically isolated from other well-established African American communities in the City. This community is significant to Minneapolis’s history as it is emblematic of a community that strived for and achieved success, achieving higher rates of homeownership and literacy than nearby European settlers during a period of harsh racial discrimination and segregation. The church has been an important structure for social events, meetings, entertainment, and as an anchor for the Shingle Creek African American community ever since. Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church is locally significant as one of the earliest African American churches in North Minneapolis.

Photo Credits:

2016, CPED Staff

Works Cited:

“Designation Study: Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church” (2017)

Updated: February 2017