20-570: The Centennial Baptist Church is a historic church building at the corner of York and Columbia Streets in Helena, Arkansas . It is significant for its association with Elias Camp Morris (1855-1922), who was the pastor of the church from 1879 and who was a driving force in the establishment of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. Morris served as the convention's president from 1895 until his death, and his church served functionally as
40-484: A pair of towers flanking a large central gable. The main entrances, one in each tower, are in Gothic arched openings, and the first level under the main gable consists of three bays of tripled Gothic lancet windows, separated by buttresses. A round-arch window in the gable is topped at the gable point by an oculus . The roofline of the gable is decorated by corbelled brickwork resembling vergeboard. Elias Camp Morris assumed
60-595: Is $ 13,028. About 38.4% of families and 41.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 54.9% of those under age 18 and 24.1% of those age 65 or over. Robert Palmer noted that in the mid-1930s Helena was "the blues capital of the Delta ". Among the musicians who regularly visited and performed in the area at that time were Robert Johnson , Johnny Shines , Sonny Boy Williamson II , Robert Nighthawk , Howlin' Wolf , Elmore James , David "Honeyboy" Edwards , Memphis Slim and Roosevelt Sykes . Helena, Arkansas
80-561: Is free to the public. Helena is located at 34°31′45″N 90°35′10″W / 34.52917°N 90.58611°W / 34.52917; -90.58611 (34.5292, -90.5861). According to the United States Census Bureau , Helena had a total area of 8.9 sq mi (23 km ), all land. As of the census of 2000, there were 6,323 people, 2,312 households, and 1,542 families residing in Helena. The population density
100-666: Is home to historic buildings such as the Sidney H. Horner House and the Centennial Baptist Church . The Edwardian Inn is located on land occupied by Union forces during the Siege of Vicksburg in 1863, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places . Helena-West Helena School District operates schools in what was Helena. Schools in the former West Helena. Eliza Miller Junior High School and Central High School ,
120-518: Is the eastern portion of Helena–West Helena, Arkansas , a city in Phillips County, Arkansas , located on the west bank of the Mississippi River . It was founded in 1833 by Nicholas Rightor and is named after the daughter of Sylvanus Phillips, an early settler of Phillips County and the namesake of Phillips County. As of the 2000 census , this portion of the city population was 6,323. Helena was
140-542: Is the only building associated with his productive life that is still standing. The Centennial Baptist Church was heavily damaged by high winds on April 12, 2020. Helena mayor Kevin Smith described the condition of the church as "a bombed-out World War II ruin." The storm, part of the 2020 Easter tornado outbreak , also destroyed two other nearby historic buildings. [REDACTED] Media related to Centennial Baptist Church at Wikimedia Commons Helena, Arkansas Helena
160-546: The county seat of Phillips County until January 1, 2006, when it merged its government and city limits with neighboring West Helena . During the American Civil War , the Battle of Helena was fought July 4, 1863. Helena is the birthplace of many notable people including prominent African Americans and Arkansas' former senior United States senator, Blanche Lincoln . Helena is home to the longest running daily radio program in
180-557: The U.S., King Biscuit Time . Citizens of Helena incorporated the Arkansas Midland Railroad in 1853, intending it to be a fairly straight ” air-line railroad ” running west from Helena to Little Rock, Arkansas , about 115 miles. However actual trackage was not completed until 1872, and only ran to Clarendon, Arkansas , about 48 miles. This line later became part of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway in 1910, but
200-519: The Union-held town of Helena, Arkansas. Holmes planned and executed three different failed attacks on the town. The main attack broke through Battery C, but Union troops fended off the attackers and sealed the breach. The Confederates withdrew on July 4, 1863. There were 1,636 Confederate casualties and 205 Union casualties. Fort Curtis was built in August 1862 by Union soldiers and freed slaves in Helena. For
220-410: The age of 18 living with them, 33.8% were married couples living together, 28.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.28. In Helena, the age distribution included 32.5% of
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#1732894513822240-518: The definition "Air line, a straight line; a bee line. Hence Air-line, adj.; as, air-line road." Air line railroads began to be built in the mid-nineteenth century. As early as 1853, the New York Daily Times ran a satirical article mocking the trend, suggesting that the fad for an "air line" name was being used to float dubious investments: When actual air travel began in the United States,
260-540: The designated secondary schools, were in West Helena. Helena previously had a Catholic grade school for black children, St. Cyprian School; it closed in 1963. Air-line railroad An air-line railroad was a railroad that was relatively straight, following a shorter (and thus, presumably quicker) route instead of a longer, winding route. In their heyday, which was prior to aviation, they were often referred to simply as "air lines". Webster's 1913 dictionary gives
280-589: The next year, it served as a command post for the Union since it was centrally located on the Mississippi River . Fort Curtis was not directly attacked during the Battle of Helena as the Confederacy focused its attacks on the outlying batteries. The Confederates charged Fort Curtis in their last attack, but the heavy artillery inside kept the attack from reaching the fort. Helena built a reproduction of Fort Curtis in 2012 that
300-482: The organization's headquarters. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2003. The church was severely damaged by high winds on April 12, 2020 in the 2020 Easter tornado outbreak . The present church building was designed by Henry James Price, a parishioner of the church, and built in 1895. It is a Gothic Revival structure executed in brick, with its main (western) facade consisting of
320-643: The pastorship of the Centennial Church in 1879, then a new congregation. He quickly rose in prominence in Baptist circles, leading the Arkansas Negro Baptist Convention and chairing the board of trustees of Arkansas Baptist College , founded in 1884. He also established a publication, the Baptist Vanguard , in 1882, which became a model for other publications. The National Baptist Convention
340-486: The population under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.5 males. The median income for a household in Helena is $ 18,662, and the median income for a family was $ 21,534. Males had a median income of $ 27,203 versus $ 17,250 for females. The per capita income for Helena
360-460: Was 710.7 inhabitants per square mile (274.4/km ). There were 2,710 housing units at an average density of 304.6 per square mile (117.6/km ). The racial makeup of Helena is 67.93% Black or African American , 30.59% White , 0.13% Native American , 0.60% Asian , 0.17% from other races , and 0.59% from two or more races. 0.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 2,312 households, out of which 32.7% had children under
380-684: Was all abandoned by 1979. From 1906 to 1946, Helena was a terminal point on the former Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad , which provided passenger and freight service to Joplin, Missouri . After a loss of rail service in early 2015, a successful effort was launched by the Helena-West Helena/Phillips County Port Authority to have freight service restored. The service was restored on October 1, 2015, and two new freight customers were quickly gained. In June 1863, Confederate Commander Theophilus Holmes sought to take pressure off of Vicksburg, Mississippi , by attacking
400-601: Was formed in the 1886 by the merger of three African-American Baptist church organizations. This body only achieved a united focus in 1895, at a meeting in which Morris was elected its president. The convention was the largest deliberative body of African-Americans in the nation at the time. Morris was also politically active in Republican Party circles, attending national conventions as a delegate. The Centennial Baptist Church served as Morris' home base for all of his activities, and grew substantially under his leadership. It
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