Bethel A.M.E. Church (Richmond, Indiana) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Bethel A.M.E. Church
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Bethel AME Church, December 2012
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 Location in Indiana
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| Location | 200 S. 6th St., Richmond, Indiana |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1854, 1892-1894 |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000032 |
| Added to NRHP | September 5, 1975 |
Bethel A.M.E. Church is an old and important church in Richmond, Indiana. It's part of the African Methodist Episcopal faith. The church community started in 1836. The building was first built in 1854. It was made bigger and updated between 1892 and 1894. It has a mix of Romanesque Revival and Neo-classical styles.
It's a brick building with one main floor and a tall bell tower. It's shaped like a cross. This church has always been a key place for education, politics, and culture for the local African American community. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. This means it's a very important historical site.
Contents
The Church's Beginnings (1836-1868)
Richmond, Indiana, started as a town around 1806. It was a new settlement during the 1800s as people moved west. Richmond became home to different groups, including Quakers, people from New England, and African Americans. By the 1830s, over 400 Black residents lived in and around Richmond.
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church shows how important the Black community was in Richmond during the early 1800s. The church is still a symbol of this community today.
Founding the Congregation
Bishop William Paul Quinn founded Bethel Richmond's Church in 1836. He was a traveling bishop. The church has served the community for almost 200 years. Early leaders included Cornelius Overman and George Black. Bishop Quinn dedicated the church in 1837 after receiving land from Gardner Mendenhall. Quinn became the AME's fourth Bishop in 1844.
From 1840 to 1845, the Bethel Church had about 119 members. Richmond became a main spot for the AME church to help people who had escaped slavery during the 1840s and 1850s.
The inside of Bethel Richmond still looks like it did in 1854. It has a simple Methodist design with clean lines and not much decoration.
A New Location (1868-Today)
In 1868, the Bethel Church community bought an existing church building. This building was at the corner of Market and Marion streets. Bethel Richmond still uses this 19th-century church today.
A Leader for Change
James M. Townsend was a pastor at Bethel Richmond. He was also a veteran who fought in the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers during the Civil War. He served as an assistant secretary for the AME Church's national meetings.
By 1885, Townsend was a well-known figure in Richmond. He became the second African American elected to the state legislature in Indiana. While in office, Townsend tried to remove all laws that treated people differently because of their race. He successfully helped pass a bill that stopped discrimination in public places. However, he could not change all unfair laws in Indiana.
Townsend returned to Richmond in 1891. He served as Bethel Richmond's pastor for two years. Later, he moved to lead the AME church in Indianapolis and then Chicago.
Standing Up for Rights
In 1921, Bethel Richmond created a statement against unfair treatment happening across the country. They asked Indiana's lawmakers to create federal laws against such acts. Later, a newspaper called the Indianapolis Times showed that many Indiana government officials were involved with the Ku Klux Klan.
The church building has mostly stayed the same since an addition was built in 1892. Bethel Richmond has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975. Richmond's Bethel AME Church is one of the oldest AME churches in Indiana.
Images for kids
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Bethel AME Church, December 2012
