British Methodist Episcopal Church, Salem Chapel
Encyclopedia
The British Methodist Episcopal Church (BME), Salem Chapel was founded in 1820 by African-American freedom seekers in St. Catharines, Ontario
, Canada
. It is located at 92 Geneva St., in the heart of Old St. Catharines. The church is a valued historical site due to its design, and its important associations with abolitionist
activity in Canada.
The church has a congregation of approximately 20 people, and Sunday Worship Service takes place at 11:00 am. Guided tours of the church and museum, which displays original documents, artifacts, and a rare book collection, all associated with the anti-slavery movement, are available by appointment.
, who lived in the area from 1851-1858, and led many fugitives to freedom via the Underground Railroad
(UGGR) to St. Catharines, Ontario.
As of 1851, the church was known as Bethel Chapel, AME
, and resided in a small log building which was constructed by black freedom seekers. In 1853 it was decided that a larger building was needed in order to respond to the growing Methodist population settling in the area.
In 1855, it was decided that all AME churches in Canada that the AME Churches in Canada would change their name to establish their own distinct identity. At the Canadian General Conference in 1856, some of the AME Churches changed their name to the British Methodist Episcopal (BME) Church
. The British Crown of England granted permission to use the word British in their title. The AME Church in St. Catharines became known as the BME Church-Salem Chapel.
and set on a high foundation. The stucco building is distinguished by its regularly arranged pointed-arch windows, modest scale and overall simplicity. The chapel has an auditory-hall design which is typical of churches associated with the Underground Railroad (UGRR) movement.
Other key physical elements of the church include:
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located at 92 Geneva St., in the heart of Old St. Catharines. The church is a valued historical site due to its design, and its important associations with 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...
activity in Canada.
The church has a congregation of approximately 20 people, and Sunday Worship Service takes place at 11:00 am. Guided tours of the church and museum, which displays original documents, artifacts, and a rare book collection, all associated with the anti-slavery movement, are available by appointment.
History
The Salem Chapel was an important centre of abolitionist and civil rights activity in Canada. The chapel was the cornerstone of a growing community of African-American refugees from the United States. The most famous and celebrated member of the church was Harriet TubmanHarriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman (born Araminta Harriet Ross; (1820 – 1913) was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War. After escaping from slavery, into which she was born, she made thirteen missions to rescue more than 70 slaves...
, who lived in the area from 1851-1858, and led many fugitives to freedom via the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
(UGGR) to St. Catharines, Ontario.
As of 1851, the church was known as Bethel Chapel, AME
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 resided in a small log building which was constructed by black freedom seekers. In 1853 it was decided that a larger building was needed in order to respond to the growing Methodist population settling in the area.
In 1855, it was decided that all AME churches in Canada that the AME Churches in Canada would change their name to establish their own distinct identity. At the Canadian General Conference in 1856, some of the AME Churches changed their name to the British Methodist Episcopal (BME) Church
British Methodist Episcopal Church
The British Methodist Episcopal Church is a Protestant church in Canada that has its roots in the African Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States....
. The British Crown of England granted permission to use the word British in their title. The AME Church in St. Catharines became known as the BME Church-Salem Chapel.
Heritage value
Salem Chapel became a designated National Historic Site of Canada in 1999. The heritage value of this church resides in its exceptional associations with the anti-slavery movement and the early black community to which it bears witness, as illustrated by the church with its auditory-hall form, typical of early African Canadian churches.Architecture and design of the church
Salem Chapel is a well preserved, 3 level chapel which is gable-frontedGablefront house
A Gablefront house, also known as a Gable Front house or Front Gable house, is a vernacular house type in which the Gable is facing the street or entrance side of the house. They were built in large numbers throughout the United States primarily between the early 19th century and 1920...
and set on a high foundation. The stucco building is distinguished by its regularly arranged pointed-arch windows, modest scale and overall simplicity. The chapel has an auditory-hall design which is typical of churches associated with the Underground Railroad (UGRR) movement.
Other key physical elements of the church include:
- the central entry door on one gable end, set between two large pointed-arch windows and approached by a split staircase;
- four regularly spaced pointed arch windows on each side elevation;
- wood construction materials, wood trim, and stone foundation;
- high basement;
- simple interior finishes, including a restored, hand-painted stencil border circling the upper gallery;
- and surviving original fittings including the long single-log walnut benches.
External links
- http://www.stcatharines.ca/en/experiencein/BritishMethodistEpiscopalChurchSalemChapel.asp
- http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=12892&pid=0
- http://www.heritagetrust.on.ca/Resources-and-Learning/Slavery-to-Freedom/Partners/Salem-Chapel-British-Methodist-Episcopal-Church.aspx