our history

We began in the minds and hearts of caring individuals and it is out of their convictions, ideas and tenacity that our mission unfolds. The 14th Street Community Center was built at the request of concerned residents in the 1940s. It's purpose at the time was to provide recreational opportunities for children residing within the Farley Square Housing Project. The 14th Street Community Center was founded in 1942 and is located in the heart of the African American community in Portsmouth, Ohio.

Today, the Center serves more than 1200 individuals from diverse backgrounds and neighborhoods by offering free educational and recreational programs and is actively working to extend our operations to our 17th Street Learning Annex, where completed renovations will allow us to serve the Kendall Heights Housing Complex and surrounding community.

Learn more about our history on Scioto Historical.

Portsmouth: A City Rich in Black History

MLK Day Celebration

Participants in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration presented by the MLK Committee and Wings of Hope, Speak to Your Spirit and Rise! Members of the community gathered to show solidarity and support of the efforts made by these young people to present a captivating experience in remembrance of the Honorable Martin Luther King, Jr.

Photo presented to the 14th Street Community Center by Mr. Paul O’Neil. Pictured are members of the AME Allen Chapel Church dating back to 1893 (per Dr. Andrew Feight) the African American Episcopal Church Ohio Conference. Some named attendees were Benjamin Arnett (Ohio State Representative), Daniel Payne (President Wilbur Force College), John Q. Weaver (Underground Railroad Conductor), Frank White (instrumental in the Emancipation Day Celebration of 1891).

Members of the community met with Portsmouth Murals, Inc in conjunction with the City of Portsmouth and the artist, Robert Dafford, to discuss plans for a mural depicting Portsmouth’s crucial part in the Underground Railroad helping set our Black brothers and sisters on the path to freedom.