About this property
The Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic church and congregation which is located at 419 South 6th Street in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The congregation, founded in 1794, is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal congregation in the nation. Its present church, completed in 1890, is the oldest church property in the United States to be continuously owned by African Americans. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972. The church was proposed in 1791 by members of the Free African Society of Philadelphia, including Absalom Jones, out of a desire to create a space for autonomous African-American worship and community in the city. The desire to create the church was strengthened in 1792, after African-American members of St. George's Methodist Church walked out due to racial segregation in the worship services. Leading roles in the founding were played by Richard Allen, who arranged the purchase of the church's site and its construction, and Absalom Jones, who raised funds among both black and white Philadelphia residents (including then-President George Washington). Mother Bethel was one of the first African-American churches in the United States, dedicated July 29, 1794, by Bishop Francis Asbury. On October 12, 1794, Reverend Robert Blackwell announced that the congregation was received in full fellowship in the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1816, Rev. Richard Allen brought together other black Methodist congregations from the region to organize the new African Methodist Episcopal Church denomination. He was elected bishop of this denomination. After the American Civil War, its missionaries went to the South to help freedmen and planted many new churches in the region. In 1838, the building was damaged during the riots that followed the destruction of Pennsylvania Hall. Allen and his wife, Sarah Allen are both buried in the present church's crypt. The current church building was constructed in 1888–1890, and it has been designated a National Historic Landmark. On October 25, 2009, "The Great Gathering" took place at St. George's Church in which the community of Mother Bethel AME and St. George's congregations gathered for Sunday worship at St. George's for the first time since the historic walkout. The Rev. Dr. Mark Kelly Tyler preached for this service. The property was acquired for the new congregation in 1794. Its first building was a frame structure originally used as a blacksmith's shop, which was hauled to the site. This building was later replaced by frame structures in 1805 and 1841. The 1841 church was reported to have a tunnel connecting it with a nearby Quaker meetinghouse to facilitate the movements of fugitive slaves.
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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.
Everything a full report reveals about Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church
This page lists Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:
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Questions about this property
When was Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church listed on the National Register?
Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 16, 1972.
What type of historic resource is Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church?
Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church?
The period of significance for Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1794.
Can I research the history near Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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