African Church (1855)

This small historic house of worship, named the African Church by its founders, holds tremendous significance for the local African-American community of St. Charles. The sanctuary was built c.1855 by enslaved persons and was the first church building of the St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church, a congregation now located in a larger structure nearby on Washington Street. The original building is an important religious, social, and educational symbol for the African-American community. It is also a well-preserved example of antebellum (pre-Civil War) vernacular architecture. For these reasons, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The church was built with handmade bricks and hand-hewn timbers. During the week, it was used as a school for children during the day and adults in the evening. The first service held in the church was such an important event for the African-American community that the first mayor of St. Charles, Dr. Ludwell Powell (who was a slave owner), attended.

A few months after the Civil War ended, a group of five Black trustees assumed ownership. Within a few years, however, the building became too small for the growing congregation and a new building was erected in 1872. The original church was sold to the Union Benevolent Society of St. Charles in 1874 which used it until 1943. A few years later, a local couple bought the building and converted it into a home. It was then rented out beginning in 1975 and later restored to its current use as a historic site.

Cameron, Janice. "African Church." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. November 21, 1980. https://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/80004366.pdf.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:A.M.E._Church_of_St._Charles#/media/File:African_American_Church.jpg