Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2051 Main St., Hartford, Connecticut |
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| Built | 1873 |
| Architect | Waters, E.H. |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000769 |
| Added to NRHP | July 22, 1994 |
The Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is a historic and important church building located at 2051 Main Street in Hartford, Connecticut. This impressive building was constructed in 1873-1874. It was first built for a different church group, but since 1926, it has been the home of Hartford's oldest African-American church community. This community started way back in 1833! Because of its history and unique design, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
Contents
What Does the Church Look Like?
The Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is in the Clay-Arsenal neighborhood on the north side of Hartford. You can find it on the west side of Main Street, just north of Mahl Avenue.
Its Unique Design
This church is a large, three-and-a-half-story building made of brick with special stone decorations. It's built in a style called High Victorian Gothic. This means it has tall, pointed arches over the windows and doors, like you might see in old castles or cathedrals.
The front of the church, which faces the street, has a big pointed roof section called a gable. There are two entrances, one on each side of the front. The entrance on the left has a tall, strong tower next to it. This tower has a belfry (where bells are kept) and a steeple that points up to the sky. The windows are different sizes and are grouped in various ways, all with those classic Gothic pointed arches. They have light-colored stone frames around them. You can also see stone bands, called beltcourses, that separate the different levels of the building.
A Journey Through Time: The Church's History
The church building has a long and interesting history, changing hands several times before becoming the home of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.
Who Built the Church?
The church was originally built in 1873-1874 for a Methodist Episcopal congregation that was mostly white. This group used the building for many years.
New Owners, New Uses
In 1919, that first congregation moved to a new building. They sold this church to a Jewish congregation, who then used it as a synagogue. A synagogue is a place of worship for Jewish people. They used the building for about seven years.
Home for the Metropolitan AME Zion Church
In 1926, the current congregation, the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, bought the building. This congregation has a very long history in Hartford, dating all the way back to 1833. Before moving to this location, they had several other homes. They were first on Elm Street, in a building that later became part of Bushnell Park. Then, they built a new church on Pearl Street. That building was replaced by an even larger one on the same spot in 1898, which they used until they found their current home on Main Street.
See also
