African Meeting House facts for kids
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African Meeting House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Location | 8 Smith Court, Boston, MA |
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| Built | 1806 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Part of | Beacon Hill Historic District (ID66000130) |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000087 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 7, 1971 |
| Designated NHL | May 30, 1974 |
| Designated CP | October 15, 1966 |
The African Meeting House is a very important building in Boston, Massachusetts. It was built in 1806 and is the oldest church building in the United States that was built by and for Black Americans. It's also known by other names like the First African Baptist Church. Today, it's part of the Museum of African American History, which helps people learn about the history of Black Americans in New England. It's located in the historic Beacon Hill neighborhood, right next to the Abiel Smith School, which is also part of the museum. This building is recognized as a National Historic Landmark because of its special history.
Contents
History of the African Meeting House
A Place for Worship
Before 1805, Black Bostonians could go to white churches, but they often faced unfair treatment. They were usually made to sit in the balconies and were not allowed to vote on church matters.
A Black American preacher named Thomas Paul from New Hampshire started leading worship meetings for Black people at Faneuil Hall. On August 8, 1805, Paul and twenty of his followers officially created the First African Baptist Church. They bought land for a building that same year.
The African Meeting House was finished in 1806. At its opening on December 6, 1806, the front-floor seats were saved for white people who supported the Black community. The Black members sat in the balcony of their new church. Many important leaders served as ministers here over the years.
Early Schooling for Black Children
In the early 1800s, Primus Hall started a school in his home. He worked hard to get money from the community, including Black American sailors, to pay for the school's costs. He tried to get the city of Boston to create a public school for Black children in 1800, but he wasn't successful.
By 1806, Hall moved his school to the basement of the African Meeting House. He kept raising money to support this school for Black American children until 1835. This school helped Black Bostonians get an education and find jobs, which also helped future generations go to college.
In 1834, the Abiel Smith School was built. This happened after Abiel Smith donated $2,000. This new school was the first building in the country built specifically as a public school for Black Americans. In 1835, all Black American children in Boston were sent to the Smith school, which took the place of the basement school in the African Meeting House.
A Center for Change
The African Meeting House became known as the Black Faneuil Hall because it was a key place for the abolitionist movement. This movement worked to end slavery. On January 6, 1832, William Lloyd Garrison started the New England Anti-Slavery Society right here.
During the Civil War, important figures like Frederick Douglass used the meeting house to recruit soldiers. They encouraged Black men to join the 54th and 55th Massachusetts Regiments, which were famous Black military units.
From Church to Synagogue
Towards the end of the 1800s, many Black families began moving to other parts of Boston, like the South End and Roxbury. Because of this, the building was sold to a Jewish group called Anshei Lubavitch. These new immigrants lived in the Beacon Hill and North End areas.
The building served as a synagogue until 1972. That year, the Museum of African American History bought it and turned it into a museum.
The African Meeting House Today
The African Meeting House was named a National Historic Landmark in 1974. Today, it is home to the Museum of African American History. This museum works to save and share the stories of Black Americans in New England from the early colonial times through the 1800s.
The African Meeting House is open to the public. It is also part of the Boston African American National Historic Site. Next to the African Meeting House is the Education and Technology Center. The Trust for Public Land helped the museum get this building when they needed more space to grow.
Building the Meeting House
Funds for building the African Meeting House came from both white and Black communities. Cato Gardner, who was from Africa, raised more than $1,500 of the total $7,700 needed to finish the building. A special message above the front door says: "Cato Gardner, first Promoter of this Building 1806." Scipio and Sylvia Dalton also helped organize and raise money for the church.
Even with the money they raised, the church leaders had to ask the Massachusetts government for more funds to finish building. This request showed that both Black American and white workers helped build the meeting house. For example, a white carpenter named Amos Penniman worked on the building. Records also show that Abel Barbadoes did masonry work.
Chloe Thomas, who lived in the Home for Aged Colored Women in 1883, shared stories about the building's construction. She said that George Holmes, a mason, invented the first hod (a tool for carrying bricks and mortar) ever used in Boston to help build the meeting house. Boston Smith, a master builder, led the carpentry work. Abel Barbadoes, also a master mason, helped too.
The front of the African Meeting House looks like a design for a townhouse by Boston architect Asher Benjamin. Besides being used for religious services and schooling, the meeting house also became a place for celebrations and important political and anti-slavery meetings. The African Meeting House was updated by the church members in the 1850s.
See also
