United House of Prayer for All People

100 Dixwell Avenue

Exterior of church, 2016. Courtesy Edward Chery, FAIA.

In 1979 a small group of followers of the United House of Prayer were happy to move out of their old building which was located at 78 Dixwell Avenue into their new building at 100 Dixwell Avenue. The United House of Prayer for All People of the Church on the Rock of the Apostolic Faith opened its first house in 1919 in a modest structure built in West Wareham, Massachusetts by the Founder Bishop C.M. Grace (known by his many followers as “Daddy Grace”). During this early period of the church’s founding Daddy Grace traveled the segregated South, and throughout America which resulted in a major rise in membership along with a dramatic increase in the church’s building program.

As part of the massive Urban Renewal program here in New Haven, the church was able to purchase land surrounding its Dixwell Avenue property which allowed for the construction of their new church at 100 Dixwell Avenue along with the 36 units of moderate income housing as designed by New Haven Architect Edward Cherry, who was recommended to the church at its Washington, D.C. headquarters, by a fellow Howard University Graduate, Leroy Campbell, who designed House of Prayer buildings in the Washington D.C. area. One unique factor in all of this construction was that all such construction was made possible by the use of the church private funds with no government subsidies or mortgages.

With the passing of Daddy Grace, his successor was Bishop W. McCollough followed by Bishop S. C. Madison, and then Bishop C. M. Bailey. Constructing and maintaining new Houses of Prayer and moderate income housing continued.

Text source courtesy Edward Cherry, FAIA.