The church was built in 1892 and bought in 1949 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, giving honor to Bishop John Henry Clayborn. It is an example of Romanesque Revival architecture and was listed on the Historic Registry in 1979. The national importance of the building relates, among other tributes, to its landmark status as the site where Sanitation Workers led their iconic
“I AM A MAN” marches during the 1968 Civil Rights’ movement. On March 28, 1968, police coerced marchers into its tear-gas-filled interior.