St. Paul's African Methodist Episcopal Church (Urbana, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
St. Paul's African Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic church in Urbana
, Ohio
, United States
. Built in the Greek Revival
style in 1876, it is home to a congregation that was founded in the mid-1820s.
(A.M.E.) churches in the East. In 1824 or 1825, A.M.E. missionary Moses Freeman visited Urbana while travelling through the then-western part of the United States; here he met the former members of his denomination and officially organized them as a congregation. Eight individuals composed the charter membership
. In the earliest years, members worshipped in each others' homes, as finances were insufficient to build a house of worship.
Once the church was strong enough to erect a building, they built a small log structure. Growth soon caused this church to become too small for the number of worshippers; it was destroyed in 1844 and a larger brick church erected in its place by the members of the congregation. In turn, this church also became too small, and the members began to build a replacement in 1866.
Among the church's leading ministers have been Jerry Thompson and Benjamin W. Arnett
. Although illiterate
, Thompson was a powerful preacher who was known for his fervent sermons; he pastored in the church's earliest years. Arnett took charge of the congregation in 1876. As well as serving at St. Paul's, he ministered at A.M.E. churches in Cincinnati, Columbus
, and Toledo
, but he became most prominent in the years after his pastorate in Urbana. While a state representative
from Greene County
in 1886, he pioneered efforts to repeal Ohio's black codes.
Today, St. Paul's continues as an active congregation of the A.M.E. Church.
structure: its foundation is brick, and its walls are built of brick covered with stucco
. It is covered with an asphalt
roof that rises to a gable
, and many windows of multiple panes illuminate the interior.
In 1997, St. Paul's Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, both because of its contribution to local history and because of its historic architecture.
Urbana, Ohio
Urbana is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Ohio, United States, west of Columbus. Urbana was laid out in 1805, and for a time in 1812 was the headquarters of the Northwestern army. Urbana was named after the town of Urbanna, Virginia. It is the burial-place of the Indian fighter...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built in the Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
style in 1876, it is home to a congregation that was founded in the mid-1820s.
Congregational history
Among Urbana's first black residents were a few individuals that had been members of African Methodist EpiscopalAfrican 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...
(A.M.E.) churches in the East. In 1824 or 1825, A.M.E. missionary Moses Freeman visited Urbana while travelling through the then-western part of the United States; here he met the former members of his denomination and officially organized them as a congregation. Eight individuals composed the charter membership
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
. In the earliest years, members worshipped in each others' homes, as finances were insufficient to build a house of worship.
Once the church was strong enough to erect a building, they built a small log structure. Growth soon caused this church to become too small for the number of worshippers; it was destroyed in 1844 and a larger brick church erected in its place by the members of the congregation. In turn, this church also became too small, and the members began to build a replacement in 1866.
Among the church's leading ministers have been Jerry Thompson and Benjamin W. Arnett
Benjamin W. Arnett
Bishop Benjamin W. Arnett was an African American educator, minister, and elected official. He was born a free man in 1838 in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, where he taught school from 1859 to 1867...
. Although illiterate
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
, Thompson was a powerful preacher who was known for his fervent sermons; he pastored in the church's earliest years. Arnett took charge of the congregation in 1876. As well as serving at St. Paul's, he ministered at A.M.E. churches in Cincinnati, Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, and Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, but he became most prominent in the years after his pastorate in Urbana. While a state representative
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
from Greene County
Greene County, Ohio
Greene County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 161,573 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Xenia, and it was named for General Nathanael Greene, an officer in the Revolutionary War. Greene County was established on March 24, 1803.Greene County is part...
in 1886, he pioneered efforts to repeal Ohio's black codes.
Today, St. Paul's continues as an active congregation of the A.M.E. Church.
Church building
Construction of the present church building was a long process: work began in 1866, but the structure was not completed until after Benjamin Arnett's 1876 installation as the pastor. This house of worship is primarily a masonryMasonry
Masonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
structure: its foundation is brick, and its walls are built of brick covered with stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
. It is covered with an asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
roof that rises to a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
, and many windows of multiple panes illuminate the interior.
In 1997, St. Paul's Church 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...
, both because of its contribution to local history and because of its historic architecture.