But that church closed when numbers began to fall, leaving Calvary Baptist as the only predominantly black church for miles. While neighborhoods in larger cities often are segregated by color, black residents in Ottawa are scattered throughout town. Yet like many towns, Ottawa has had its problems. But it was the tragedy, as he calls it, that brought the city closer together and made the effort to build a new church for Calvary Bap- tist possible. Built in 1912, the build- ing s ceiling dips, the foundation is cracking and there are spots in the back that leak when it rains.
Space is so tight, there is room for only a dozen cars, crammed in a small lot in the back.
At one point in the 1980s, the church s membership shrunk to a couple dozen members.