Centennial Baptist Church was the home base for Reverend (Dr.) Elias Camp Morris from the dedication of the church in 1905 until his death in 1922. While serving as pastor, Dr. Morris was president (1895-1922) of the National Baptist Convention (NBC), the largest African-American organization in the United States at the end of the 19th century, through which Morris brought attention to the right of African Americans to establish independent religious associations.

Information provided by the National Registry of Historic Places, a program of the National Park Service