Bishop Louis Henry Ford

The theme for Black in Historic Preservation’s 2026 Program is "Been Preservation." 

by k. kennedy Whiters, RA

A key component of the program is a series of profiles of Black preservation ancestors that highlight their preservation activities and Black people's agency in the preservation field, prior to the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. 

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If you live in Chicago or have visited the South Side via the Dan Ryan, you might be familiar with the Bishop Ford Freeway. But what you might not know is that the namesake was instrumental in preserving an important Chicago landmark. Black in Historic Preservation is pleased to present Black preservationist Bishop Louis Henry Ford.

During the 1940s, Black people were busy preserving older buildings on Chicago's South Side. In our last Been Preservation Ancestors Profile, we learned about Dr. Margaret T. Burroughs and the preservation work she was instrumental in on the South Side, notably at the time, the South Side Community Art Center. 

Today, we highlight the leadership of Bishop Louis Henry and Margaret Ford and the preservation work they led with their congregation for Chicago's oldest house. That's right, you read that right, for Chicago's OLDEST HOUSE! 

How amazing! And a congregation that understood amazing grace, how sweet it is, put that grace in action in saving the house from further disrepair, from 1941 to 1970: fundraising with tea parties, doing hands-on preservation, and Bishop Ford and his family lived in the house for a few years as the house served as the rectory for his neighboring church. 

The year 2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the church Bishop Ford founded in 1936: St. Paul Church of God in Christ (COGIC).