More than a hundred people filled a stretch of West 138th Street in Harlem on Sunday, Sept. 14, to celebrate the opening of the Abyssinian Baptist Church’s new Dr. Calvin O. Butts III Educational and Cultural Center.
The five-story center—sited alongside the roughly 100-year-old church that belongs to a congregation more than two centuries old—contains classrooms, lecture halls, event spaces and a garden patio intended for community use. Food trucks, live music and a bounce house for children lined the block outside the building as elected officials and community leaders joined the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg offered remarks before the official opening. Schumer called the day “a blessed day” and described Dr. Calvin O. Butts III as an “amazing man” and a longtime partner in efforts to improve life in Harlem.
“When I had trouble, political or personal, he’s one of the first people I would call, and he would counsel me and give me advice and give me strength, and I’ll never forget that,” Schumer said at the ceremony.
Bragg, who grew up attending Sunday school at Abyssinian and now teaches there, recalled working as a high school student on a service project that involved contacting real estate developers about the property next door. He said he was overjoyed to see the space become a community center.
The center is named for Dr. Butts, who led Abyssinian for more than 30 years before becoming president of the State University of New York at Old Westbury from 1999 until 2020. He died in 2022 at age 72. Church leaders said the new facility realizes a long-held vision of Butts to expand the congregation’s capacity to serve Harlem.
Reverend Kevin Johnson, who succeeded Butts and said he was personally mentored by him, described the center as “not just going to be for our church, but it’s gonna be for the community.” Johnson said the space will host educational and financial seminars and other programs intended to help residents pursue opportunities and preserve the neighborhood.
During his tenure at Abyssinian, Butts built a reputation as an advocate for Harlem and Black New Yorkers and as a pragmatic collaborator with public officials from both parties. The Abyssinian Development Corporation, formed by the church, played a leading role in efforts to preserve housing for low-income residents in the neighborhood, a legacy church leaders said informed the new center’s mission.
Family members were present for the ceremony. Patricia Butts and the couple’s son, Calvin O. Butts IV, joined clergy and civic leaders at the ribbon cutting. Calvin IV said the opening fell on the 78th anniversary of his great-grandparents’ 1947 wedding and read remarks about his father’s hopes for the space.
“To all of the Abyssinians, family and friends, let me say, thank you,” Patricia Butts said after the ribbon was cut.
Abyssinian leaders and elected officials emphasized the center’s role in maintaining Harlem’s cultural and civic life. They described plans for programming that will reach beyond the congregation to provide resources on education, finance and community development.
The opening capped a day of neighborhood celebration that church leaders said they hope will mark the start of sustained activity in the building, continuing a century-long association between the church and the surrounding community. Church officials said the center will be available for local events and programming designed to support residents and preserve the neighborhood’s character.
Organizers said additional details about program schedules and community partnerships will be announced in the coming weeks as the center begins operations.