Illinois Society / Bishop Ford Saved Clarke House

Bishop Ford Saved Clarke House

Illinois Society

by JEAN PERKINS

In 1977 the City of Chicago purchased Clarke House with the understanding that Illinois Dames would help furnish it as a museum. Situated in the Prairie Avenue Historic District, Clarke House is Chicago’s oldest house, built in 1836. Its restoration and preservation stand as a testament to the energy and civic leadership of Bishop Louis Henry Ford, founder of the St. Paul Church of God in Christ.

How has it managed to survive the ravages of time and two moves? The Clarkes built it and were succeeded by the Chrimeses, but the home’s third owner, charismatic Black preacher Bishop Ford, ensured its preservation. He bought the house from the Chrimes’ granddaughters in 1941 after the City had refused to do so. Adding his own money to donations from members of his congregation, Ford oversaw repair and replacement of the roof, stairs, cupola and other elements. He refused offers to redevelop the land. The house and its history meant a great deal to Ford. He held annual birthday celebrations with tours and programs that included discussion of its historical and architectural significance. “We will continue to fight off demands to tear down this building because we feel it deserves a place in Chicago on an equal footing with the Water Tower,” he said at the 126th birthday party. Besides serving as his family’s home and providing office and meeting space for the church and for organizations such as the Urban League, the house provided a tangible example of Black civic leadership. Ford said, “So many people think the Black community is supposed to destroy everything . . . Here we have preserved the oldest house. This is our message.” Under his leadership Clarke House was designated a Chicago Landmark (one of the first two buildings so named) and added to the National Register.

Ford arrived in Chicago from Mississippi in 1933 at age 19 and began preaching on street corners. Three years later he founded the St. Paul Church of God in Christ. The legacy of Bishop Ford - beyond restoring and maintaining the historic Clarke House - includes: delivering the sermon at Emmett Till’s funeral; becoming one of the first Black preachers broadcast on Chicago radio; promoting the early days of gospel music; and advocating for jobs, education and housing for the city’s less fortunate. By the time of his death in 1995, he was the international presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ, which had grown to be the fifth largest denomination in the country.

The histories of the Dames’ families moving west in the 19th century and Black people moving north during the Great Migration of the 20th century come together in the Clarke House Museum. Henry Clarke, the house’s first owner, was a direct descendant of Joseph Clarke of Rhode Island, and Caroline Clarke Connelly, a direct descendant of both Henry and Joseph Clarke, is an Illinois Dame who lives in Florida. Without Bishop Ford, it’s unlikely that the Illinois Dames would have a historic home to furnish. Research into his legacy is ongoing and a review is underway to ensure Bishop Ford’s story is told as part of the museum’s collection.

Above: Bishop Louis Henry Ford Bottom left: Clarke House - 1955