1900
A Building With a Soul
Built as a private residence, our brick home at 918 E. Calhoun has stood watch over northeast Springfield for over 125 years.
Chartered 2003 · Building stands since 1900
Together we can.
Building dreams. Nurturing community. A historic gathering place at the heart of Black Springfield, preserved and reopened for the next generation.
Welcome
A neighborhood treasure, more beautiful than ever.
Hello, and thank you for stopping by. Our website is undergoing a long-overdue refresh, but the work of the Center carries on — every day, in this beautiful old building, thanks to neighbors and supporters like you.
We're still totally accessible by phone or email, and the doors at 918 E. Calhoun remain open to the community we've served for generations.
— Mark A. Dixon, President
1920
A Place of Healing
It became the Springfield Negro Clinic — the only hospital open to Black patients in an era of forced segregation.
1972
A Place of Learning
Sisters Roberta Bartley and Olive Decatur opened Kiddie Kove Day Care, caring for the children of young Black mothers.
Today
An open door for everyone in the neighborhood.
Reopened in 2011 after a community-led restoration, the Center now offers a meeting room with a Smart Board, a conference room, and a community computer room — space for literacy programs, gatherings, classes, and the small clubs that knit a neighborhood together. There's a chair here for you.
Learn about our mission
Help us continue
Every gift keeps a 125-year-old promise alive.
Restoration, programming, and the ongoing care of a historic building rely entirely on the generosity of neighbors like you.
Visit
918 E. Calhoun Street
Springfield, Missouri 65802