About
The Bartley-Decatur Neighborhood Center is named for two remarkable Springfield educators — sisters whose lives bent quietly but firmly toward the children and families of their community.
Sister
A teacher at the Lincoln School — the public school for Black children in Springfield until desegregation in 1954 — Roberta later continued teaching in Springfield Public Schools. In 1972, she founded Kiddie Kove Day Care in the building at 918 E. Calhoun, primarily caring for the children of young Black mothers, many of whom she had once taught herself.
Sister
Olive joined her sister at Lincoln School and, after desegregation, at Springfield Public Schools. Both sisters were deeply involved with Washington Avenue Baptist Church and devoted decades to the children of their neighborhood. They both passed away in 1992, leaving behind the legacy that became this Center.
Our Mission
The Bartley-Decatur Neighborhood Center, Inc. exists to preserve a piece of Black Springfield's history while serving the neighborhood that has gathered around it for more than a century.
We open our doors to literacy programs, neighborhood meetings, classes, clubs, and the small acts of community that keep a place alive. We host a meeting room with a Smart Board, a conference room, and a community computer room with public hours.