Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spent 3 years in the Chester community where he studied and ministered under the mentorship of Rev. J. Pius Barbour of the Calvary Baptist Church on West Second Street.
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
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Rev. Bayard Taylor now heads the Calvary Baptist Church and is seen through a reflection from a mirror hanging on a door in his office. Dr. King once stood in front of this mirror and asked, "Who am I?"
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
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A portrait of the late, Rev. J. Pius Barbour hangs on the wall in a back room of the church.
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
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During Dr. King's years at Calvary, he spoke many times to the congregation.
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
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Rev. Taylor sits in his office, which is the former office of Rev. J. Pius Barbour, and reads a copy of Dr. King's sermon that he gave at the Calvary Baptist Church on March 3, 1949.
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
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Calvary Baptist Church celebrated its 135th anniversary in 2014.
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
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King spent 3 years in Chester where he studied and ministered under the mentorship of Reverend J. Pius Barbour of the Calvary Baptist Church on West Second Street.
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
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An additional room of worship was added onto the main church in the 1970’s. Despite cracked paint and a simple design, members of the community have elected to leave the space in it's original condition.
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
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Matthew Jenkins was a child in the Calvary Baptist community during the time of Dr. King, recounts "everyone just called him Mike." The pulpit that King spoke from can be seen in the background.
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
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A mural near the church was commissioned under Rev. Taylor and features King and many notable aspects of the Chester community.
