Ebenezer A.M.E. Church
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Established in the late 1830s, Ebenezer A.M.E. Church was the first African American congregation founded in the Federal Hill neighborhood. The church itself was originally built in 1848 and was remodeled in the late 1860s and in the 1890s. It features a projecting central tower, two short corner turrets, a large arched window and several smaller arched windows, and decorative brickwork. The windows contain stained glass depicting geometric and Victorian patterns.
Images
Ebenezer A.M.E. Church was first built in 1848 and home to the oldest African American congregation in the Federal Hill neighborhood.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The congregation first gathered in a small paint shop in South Baltimore in 1836 to sing and pray. It appears they didn't form the congregation at that time but eventually did so within the next few years. They bought the property in 1839 but did not erect the original church building until 1848. They also operated a day school in 1839 to educate African American children. The original church had a high basement and arched windows on the second and third floors. It appears the tower was not added until the 1890s. The interior features pews and ceiling beams made of Georgia pine and a marble pulpit. A bronze bell hangs in the tower. Ebenezer A.M.E. is one of the oldest African American churches in Baltimore.
Sources
"Ebenezer A.M.E. Church." Federal Hill Online. Accessed February 13, 2023. http://www.federalhillonline.com/tourstop12.htm.
"The History of Ebenezer A.M.E. Church." Ebenezer A.M.E. Church. Accessed February 13, 2023. https://www.ebenezer-amec-baltimore.org/the-history-of-ebenezer-a-m-e-church.
Federal Hill Online