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Quinn Chapel AME Church (Chicago, Illinois)
Encyclopedia
Quinn Chapel AME Church, also known as Quinn Chapel of the A.M.E. Church, houses Chicago
's oldest African-American congregation, formed by seven individuals as a nondenominational
prayer
group that met in the house of a member in 1844. In 1847, the group organized as a congregation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
, and named the church for Bishop William Paul Quinn
. In the years leading up to the Civil War
, the church played an important role in the city's abolitionist
movement. The 1871 Great Chicago Fire destroyed the original church, and the congregation met for many years in temporary locations before purchasing the present site in 1890. The current structure, designed by architect
Henry F. Starbuck
and built in 1892 at 2401 South Wabash Avenue, is a reminder of the late 19th century character of the area. The church was designated a Chicago Landmark
on August 3, 1977, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on September 4, 1979. The church is considered architecturally significant, and is found in such books as "Chicago Churches: A Photographic Essay" by Elizabeth Johnson (Uppercase Books Inc, 1999) as well as "Chicago Churches and Synagogues: An Architectural Pilgrimage" by George A. Lane (Loyola Press 1982).
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's oldest African-American congregation, formed by seven individuals as a nondenominational
Non-denominational Christianity
In Christianity, nondenominational institutions or churches are those not formally aligned with an established denomination, or that remain otherwise officially autonomous. This, however, does not preclude an identifiable standard among such congregations...
prayer
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
group that met in the house of a member in 1844. In 1847, the group organized as a congregation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
African Methodist Episcopal Church
The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the A.M.E. Church, is a predominantly African American Methodist denomination based in the United States. It was founded by the Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1816 from several black Methodist congregations in the...
, and named the church for Bishop William Paul Quinn
William Paul Quinn
William Paul Quinn was the fourth bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Quinn was born in Calcutta, India. He was at the organization of the AME Church in 1816, ordained a deacon in 1818, and an elder in 1838. The General Conference of the church elected him a bishop on May 19, 1844...
. In the years leading up to the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the church played an important role in the city's abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
movement. The 1871 Great Chicago Fire destroyed the original church, and the congregation met for many years in temporary locations before purchasing the present site in 1890. The current structure, designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Henry F. Starbuck
Henry F. Starbuck
Henry F. Starbuck was an American architect and a specialist in church architecture.-Early life and ancestors:Henry Fletcher Starbuck was born on March 1, 1850, in Nantucket, Massachusetts and died on August 21, 1935 at Decoto, Alameda County, California. He was the son of Henry Starbuck and...
and built in 1892 at 2401 South Wabash Avenue, is a reminder of the late 19th century character of the area. The church was designated a Chicago Landmark
Chicago Landmark
Chicago Landmark is a designation of the Mayor of Chicago and the Chicago City Council for historic buildings and other sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, architectural, artistic, cultural,...
on August 3, 1977, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on September 4, 1979. The church is considered architecturally significant, and is found in such books as "Chicago Churches: A Photographic Essay" by Elizabeth Johnson (Uppercase Books Inc, 1999) as well as "Chicago Churches and Synagogues: An Architectural Pilgrimage" by George A. Lane (Loyola Press 1982).