A slave named Peter Williams was one of many African American members of Philip Embury's society. He became sexton of Wesley Chapel and, with James Varick and others, formed what later became the Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. In 1817 the chapel was torn down to make way for a larger structure, dedicated in 1818. The sanctuary dates from 1841 and the interior and furnishings remain much as they were in the mid-nineteenth century. Below the sanctuary, the Wesley Chapel Museum displays many artifacts from eighteenth and nineteenth century American Methodist history in the city of New York.
Restrooms are available at the church.
Parking is prohibited on John Street on the block where the church is located. Other street parking is usually available within short walking distance, including paid lot facilities at the South Street Seaport four blocks from the church. Just a short walk away is South Street Seaport. The church is also close to Battery Park, where one can take a boat ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Another Historic Shrine, the Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, is nearby.