National Register of Historic Places

St. John's AME Church

Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Listed
December 17, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82001370

About this property

St. John's African Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic church at 2261 East 40th Street in Cleveland, Ohio. Founded in 1836 by six fugitive slaves, St. John's AME Church was first African American Christian congregation ever formed in Cleveland. The congregation has a long history of civil rights activism. Its original church building was known as "Station Hope" on the Underground Railroad. Under the pastorate of Rev. Reverdy C. Ransom (1893 to 1896), it implemented an extensive program of social outreach, including education classes, kindergarten, sports, and health. The congregation hosted Booker T. Washington in 1897 and W. E. B. Du Bois in 1908. The congregation began construction on a permanent church home in February 1908. The English Gothic style building was designed by the local architectural firm of Badgley & Nicklas. Construction ws completed in mid December 1908. At the time, it was the largest church ever constructed by a Black congregation in the city of Cleveland. It was added to the National Register in 1982. It is considered a historic Black church in Cleveland, and is a city-designated Cleveland Historic Landmark.

Location

2261 E. 40th St.
Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
41.49664, -81.65602

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
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

Goldsmith, Jacob, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Dall, Andrew, Jr. and James, Houses
Industrial
0.1 mi
Wheatley, Phillis, Association
Industrial
0.2 mi
Cleveland Home For Aged Colored People
Industrial
0.3 mi
Kies, Lewis, House
Industrial
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was St. John's AME Church listed on the National Register?

St. John's AME Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 17, 1982.

What type of historic resource is St. John's AME Church?

St. John's AME Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for St. John's AME Church?

The period of significance for St. John's AME Church is recorded as the industrial era.

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