National Register of Historic Places

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church

Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa
Listed
December 18, 2013
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
13000927

About this property

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. The congregation was established in either 1870 or 1871, which makes this the oldest historically African American church in the city. It had 23 pastors from its inception to 1928, which followed the African Methodist Episcopal Church's practice of itinerant pastors. The congregation grew slowly over this same period. Many African Americans came to Cedar Rapids after the coal industry in Southern Iowa began to collapse. The Rev. Benjamin Horace Lucas, who became pastor here in 1928, was also a catalyst for growth in the congregation. Completed in 1931, this brick Colonial Revival structure replaced a wood-frame structure from 1876. Since its completion, it has served the social and religious needs of the community. It is one of the few surviving links to Cedar Rapid's early African American community as this neighborhood has been nearly obliterated by the development of Mercy Medical Center. The church building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

Location

512 6th St., SE.
Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa
41.97956, -91.66038

Categories

BLACKSOCIAL HISTORY
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Averill, Glenn M. and Edith, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
First Universalist Church of Cedar Rapids
Industrial
0.1 mi
Brewer, Luther A. and Elinore T., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Douglas, George B., House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Ausadie Building
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church listed on the National Register?

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 18, 2013.

What type of historic resource is Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church?

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church?

The period of significance for Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is recorded as the industrial era.

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