About this property
Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church (also known as Big Wesley) is an historic church, which is located at 1500 Lombard Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, it also appears in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places and the Pennsylvania State Historic Resource survey. The congregation was founded on June 6, 1820. Worship began in a Carpenter's Shed at 521-527 Lombard Street while a brick church building was under construction. In 1885, the congregation purchased an existing building and moved to its current location at 1500 Lombard Street. The church later commissioned a larger structure to accommodate a growing congregation. Designed by architect George Savage, the church was built in 1926 in the Gothic Revival style with a corner bell tower, spire, and pointed arch windows with tracery. The main level is accessed through triple-portal doors which open to a foyer flanked on both sides by grand staircases. The church sanctuary is located on the second floor and contains a large U-shaped balcony and is brightly lit by stained glass windows on all sides. "Big Wesley" has been a historical leader in the development of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church denomination and influential in civil rights and social reforms in the 1950s and 1960s. The church continues to hold weekly worship service, bible study, and outreach ministry activities. The current pastor is Rev. Michael A. King. Former pastors include the Right Reverend Louis Hunter, Sr., 93rd Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It also appears in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places and the Pennsylvania State Historic Resource survey. Media related to Wesley AME Zion Church (Philadelphia) at Wikimedia Commons
Location
Categories
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 Wesley AME Zion Church
This page lists Wesley AME Zion 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:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Questions about this property
When was Wesley AME Zion Church listed on the National Register?
Wesley AME Zion Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1978.
What type of historic resource is Wesley AME Zion Church?
Wesley AME Zion Church is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Wesley AME Zion Church?
The period of significance for Wesley AME Zion Church is recorded as the colonial era, specifically around 1500.
Can I research the history near Wesley AME Zion 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 Wesley AME Zion Church will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
More in Philadelphia County
Historic places, battles, and census history across Philadelphia County.
Explore PhiladelphiaCounty ›More historic places in Pennsylvania
Browse all historic places in Pennsylvania.
View Pennsylvaniahistoric sites ›Pennsylvania history
Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.
Pennsylvaniahistory ›Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Wesley AME Zion Church will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.