Bethel AME Church (Davenport, Iowa)
Encyclopedia
Bethel A.M.E. Church is located at 325 W. 11th Street, Davenport, Iowa
, United States
. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
was established in Davenport in 1875 at the corner of Fourth and Gaines Street. The trustees were Emanuel Franklin, P.C. Cooper, Hy Simon and William Van Duzer.
In 1909 the congregation built the current church building in the heart of the city’s African-American Community
. It had grown to 50 congregants at the time the new building was built. The Davenport architectural firm of Clausen & Clausen designed the building using two styles that are typically found in home construction: Bungalow
and Craftsman
styles. The arched windows recall the Romanesque Revival
style. At the time the new building was constructed the congregation changed its name to Bethel A.M.E. Church.
The property was covered in a 1982 study of Davenport MRA and its 1983 follow-on, which noted that until the 1920s the black community in Davenport was relatively small and scattered.
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is 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...
.
History
The African Methodist Episcopal ChurchAfrican 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...
was established in Davenport in 1875 at the corner of Fourth and Gaines Street. The trustees were Emanuel Franklin, P.C. Cooper, Hy Simon and William Van Duzer.
In 1909 the congregation built the current church building in the heart of the city’s African-American Community
African Americans in Davenport, Iowa
African Americans in Davenport, Iowa are the third largest black community in Iowa, with a history reaching back before the Civil War.-Geography and demographics:...
. It had grown to 50 congregants at the time the new building was built. The Davenport architectural firm of Clausen & Clausen designed the building using two styles that are typically found in home construction: Bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
and Craftsman
American Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
styles. The arched windows recall the Romanesque Revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style. At the time the new building was constructed the congregation changed its name to Bethel A.M.E. Church.
The property was covered in a 1982 study of Davenport MRA and its 1983 follow-on, which noted that until the 1920s the black community in Davenport was relatively small and scattered.