State Street African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church is a historic African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 church in Mobile

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...

, Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

. It is the oldest documented Methodist church building in Alabama. It is also one of two African American churches founded in the Methodist tradition in Mobile prior to the American 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...

.

History

The church was founded in 1829 as the African Church of the City of Mobile, a mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The original building burned and the current building was erected in 1854. By 1855 the church had a congregation of 550 members, making it one of the most successful African American churches in Alabama. Following the Civil War, the congregation joined the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, or AME Zion Church, is a historically African-American Christian denomination. It was officially formed in 1821, but operated for a number of years before then....

. The Methodist Episcopal Church South then challenged the right of the congregation to occupy the building. Under the leadership of their second minister, Wilbur G. Strong, the congregation obtained legal title to the building in 1872. It was added to 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 06, 1978, due to its architectural and historic significance.