Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church - wikipedia Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church U.S. National Register of Historic Places U.S. National Historic Landmark Pennsylvania state historical marker Show map of Philadelphia Show map of Pennsylvania Show map of the US Show all Location 419 S. 6th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Coordinates 39 ° 56 ′ 35 '' N 75 ° 9 ′ 9 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 39.94306 ° N 75.15250 ° W ﻿ / 39.94306 ; - 75.15250 Coordinates : 39 ° 56 ′ 35 '' N 75 ° 9 ′ 9 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 39.94306 ° N 75.15250 ° W ﻿ / 39.94306 ; - 75.15250 Built 1890 Architect Unknown Architectural style Romanesque NRHP reference # 72001166 Significant dates Added to NRHP March 16, 1972 Designated PHMC March 19, 1991 The Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic church and congregation 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. Contents 1 History of the congregation 2 Building history 3 See also 4 References 5 External links History of the congregation The church was organized by African - American members of St. George 's Methodist Church who walked out due to racial segregation in the worship services. 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. 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. External video Mother Bethel AME Church - Philadelphia, PA, Wanda Kaluza, 2 : 54 Building history 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. The present building, completed in 1890, is a three - story masonry structure with Romanesque styling. Its large round - arch windows are adorned with stained glass from Germany. See also Philadelphia portal African American portal Christianity portal List of African American firsts List of Pennsylvania firsts Daniel Coker List of National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia National Register of Historic Places listings in Center City, Philadelphia References Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, Philadelphia, PA. ^ Jump up to : National Park Service ( 2007 - 01 - 23 ). `` National Register Information System ''. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. Jump up ^ `` PHMC Historical Markers ''. Historical Marker Database. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. Retrieved December 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church Jump up ^ `` Sarah Allen ''. World Biography. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Retrieved 3 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` NHL nomination for Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church ''. National Park Service. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 22. External links Official Site Society Hill Northwest Quadrant Parks Washington Square Tomb of the Unknown Soldier The Rose Garden The Magnolia Garden Congregations Holy Trinity Church Other landmarks The St. James Athenaeum of Philadelphia The Lippincott Dilworth House Philadelphia Contributionship Shippen - Wistar House The Ayer Northeast Quadrant Parks Korean War Memorial Congregations Old St. Joseph 's Church Old St. Mary 's Church St. Paul 's Church Other landmarks Society Hill Towers Powel House Dolley Todd House Dock Creek Bathsheba 's spring and bower Benjamin Loxley house Dock Street Market Polish American Cultural Center The Willings Bell 's Court Davis - Lenox House John Penn 's House Southwest Quadrant Parks Starr Garden Park Congregations Society Hill Synagogue Congregation Kesher Israel B'nai Abraham Synagogue Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church Vilna Congregation Old Pine Street Church Presbyterian Historical Society Other landmarks McCall School Thomas Sully Residence Southeast Quadrant Parks Delancey Park Congregations St. Peter 's Church Other landmarks Head House Square New Market and Head House St. Peter 's School Drinker 's Court Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial Cassey House Hill -- Physick -- Keith House Quadrants are divided along Fourth and Spruce streets. This list is incomplete. US National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Topics Contributing property Keeper of the Register Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Property types Lists by county Adams Allegheny Armstrong Beaver Bedford Berks Blair Bradford Bucks Butler Cambria Cameron Carbon Centre Chester East North South Clarion Clearfield Clinton Columbia Crawford Cumberland Dauphin Delaware Elk Erie Fayette Forest Franklin Fulton Greene Huntingdon Indiana Jefferson Juniata Lackawanna Lancaster Lawrence Lebanon Lehigh Luzerne Lycoming McKean Mercer Mifflin Monroe Montgomery Montour Northampton Northumberland Perry Philadelphia Pike Potter Schuylkill Snyder Somerset Sullivan Susquehanna Tioga Union Venango Warren Washington Wayne Westmoreland Wyoming York Lists by city Pittsburgh Lancaster Philadelphia Center City North Northeast Northwest South Southwest West Other lists European archaeological sites Native American archaeological sites Bridges ( covered ) National Historic Landmarks ( Philadelphia ) NRHP portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mother_Bethel_A.M.E._Church&oldid=804615885 '' Categories : African Methodist Episcopal churches in Pennsylvania Churches completed in 1890 19th - century Methodist church buildings in the United States Churches in Philadelphia Religious organizations established in 1794 History of Methodism in the United States National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania Properties of religious function on the National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia Churches on the Underground Railroad Methodist organizations established in the 18th century African - American history in Philadelphia Pennsylvania state historical marker significations Society Hill, Philadelphia 1794 establishments in Pennsylvania Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Hidden categories : Wikipedia page with obscure country or subdivision Coordinates on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 10 October 2017, at 03 : 52 ( UTC ). 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Question: who opened the first african american church in philadelphia
Answer: African-American members of St. George's Methodist Church