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Property Details for Antioch Baptist Church


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Profile Information

AI#239520
Private
256792
1053-1057 Texas Avenue SHREVEPORT, LA 71101
.7
181437-069-0046-00
32.503880994629 / -93.753621975777
4
Reyes, Elizabeth
Reyes.Elizabeth@epa.gov
214-665-3163


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Property Location



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Property Progress


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CAs Associated with this Property

CA NameCA #StateTypeAnnouncement Year
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality4B02F16301LAAssessment2022


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Assessment Activities at this Property

ActivityEPA FundingStart DateCompletion DateCAAccomplishment Counted?Counted When?
Phase I Environmental Assessment$5,356.8107/18/202309/29/2023Louisiana Department of Environmental QualityYFY24
Phase II Environmental Assessment$52,644.1804/11/2024Louisiana Department of Environmental QualityN
Phase II Environmental Assessment$4,911.0012/04/202301/31/2024Louisiana Department of Environmental QualityN


Is Cleanup Necessary? Unknown
EPA Assessment Funding: $62,911.99
Leveraged Funding:
Total Funding: $62,911.99


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Climate Adaption and Mitigation - Planning or Assessment

There is no data for Climate Adaption and Mitigation - Planning or Assessment.


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Contaminants and Media




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Cleanup Activities

There are no current cleanup activities.


Cleanup/Treatment Implemented:
Cleanup/Treatement Categories:
Addl Cleanup/Treatment info:
Address of Data Source:
Total ACRES Cleaned Up: .7
Number of Cleanup Jobs Leveraged:
EPA Cleanup Funding:
Leveraged Funding:
Cost Share Funding:
Total Funding:


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Climate Adaption and Mitigation - Demolition or Cleanup

There is no data for Climate Adaption and Mitigation - Demolition or Cleanup.


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Institutional and Engineering Controls



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Redevelopment and Other Leveraged Accomplishments

There are no current redevelopment activities.


Number of Redevelopment Jobs Leveraged:
Actual Acreage of Greenspace Created:
Leveraged Funding:


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Climate Adaption and Mitigation - Redevelopment

There is no data for Climate Adaption and Mitigation – Redevelopment


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Additional Property Attributes

Former Use: The site was the first black Baptist church and community gathering space founded in 1866 by 73 freed slaves along Historic Texas Avenue following the American Civil War. Antioch Baptist Church was not only the first Baptist church organized as a place of worship for black people in the Shreveport area. Following periods of Christian growth, organizational strife, and religious unrest, Antioch Baptist Church gave birth to several congregations, namely the historic Churches of Avenue Baptist, Evergreen Baptist, Trinity Baptist, and Union Mission Baptist. As a result, Antioch Baptist Church fondly became known as "the Mother Church".

The current structure was built in 1903. Although the church had significant repairs in 2000, subsequent water infiltration caused significant structural settling, wood rot, and damage to the church's plaster walls, stained glass windows and other finishes. The building is now in a state where it is not safe to be occupied, resulting in a vacant historic structure in the heart of the Shreveport Common area, a target area for revitalization in the city of Shreveport. The church is now on the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservations' Most Endangered list (listed in 2022). The church is working to secure funding for the necessary upgrades but is concerned about environmental issues in the building materials that will need to be updated (e.g. asbestos or PCBs in window caulking, asbestos in the roofing and/or flooring materials, lead based paint, etc.) and is requesting assistance to assess the environmental concerns at the site to facilitate the restoration of this historic and culturally significant structure. The adjacent abandoned gas station and auto repair facility also presents a concern. A Phase I ESA was completed in September 2023 under LDEQ's TBA Program. The Phase I ESA identified recognized environmental conditions including former wrecker service operations on the property and former service station, auto repair, auto painting, farm implement repair, and dry-cleaning operations on nearby properties. Additionally, lead-based paint and asbestos in building material was stated as a concern based on the age of the structure and condition of the building. The Phase I ESA can be accessed in LDEQ's EDMS here: https://edms.deq.louisiana.gov/app/doc/view?doc14007727

A Phase II ESA including subsurface investigation and lead based paint and asbestos surveys are being conducted under LDEQ's TBA Program to determine if contamination is present.

Planned Reuse: The site is expected to be used for the congregation as well as community events and gatherings. The site is a rich part of Shreveport's history and a key community meeting place for the neighborhood's Black community. Reuse of the site would save a historically significant structure and place of worship for the community, provide place for tourists to discover a real part of African American history in Shreveport, and remove blight from the area. It would also support the overall revitalization of the Shreveport Common area.
Commercial (.7)


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Release 3.0.2