In the early 1890s, Clayton was home to a growing African-American population, many of them railroad workers. Byrd's African Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1894 to serve this community, whose members had previously walked several miles to Mount Friendship Church for services. On July 13, 1894, the trustees of the Clayton A.M.E. Church bought the land from Willis C. Dickerson for 100 dollars. The church was named for Reverend Elijah Byrd, who served as pastor of both Mount Friendship Church and the new congregation. The two congregations remained closely connected, and in 1901 they jointly bought five acres from John P. Hudson to establish an annual ten-day camp meeting to raise funds and provide an inspirational vacation for members. In 1982, Byrd's A.M.E. Church was added to the National Register of Historic Places and it continues to serve the spiritual needs of the Clayton community.