Oakley Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church - Tebbetts, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 37.859 W 091° 57.855
15S E 590152 N 4276336
Organized in 1878 by Rev. Ben McCollough, the Oakley African Methodist Episcopal Church was the heart of the local African-American community.
Waymark Code: WMWW1C
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 10/20/2017
Views: 1
County of church: Callaway County
Location of church: CR-485 & CR-486, approx 1 mile N. of Tebbetts
Built: 1878, remodeled 1954
"The Oakley Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church is located approximately 1 mile north
of Tebbetts, Callaway County, at the intersection of County Roads 485 and 486. The one acre
property is on a hill overlooking surrounding agricultural land and contains three contributing
resources: the church, cemetery, and cistern. Constructed in 1878, the frame, gable front church
sits on a concrete foundation. Due to the slope of the lot from back to front, the narrow double
leaf entry is several feet from the ground and is accessed by a flight of concrete steps. Though
the church has been covered in vinyl siding, the original windows are intact as are the interior
finishes. To the northeast is a small cistern covered with a concrete pad. Approximately 54 feet
to the north is a frame parsonage/dining hall constructed c. 1962 (non-contributing). The
parsonage/dining hall has a low pitched gable roof and sits on a concrete foundation. Behind the
church is a small cemetery. Graves in the cemetery face roughly east in long, north-south
running rows. Though some alterations have been made to the church building, the site as a
whole is largely unaltered and reflects the period when the church and grounds were the center
of a small but vital rural African American community in Callaway County.
"The Oakley Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church and its associated dining hall and
cemetery are located at the crest of a hill overlooking neighboring agricultural and pasture land.
County Road 485 curves around the south and west sides of the one acre lot and County Road
486 tees at the southwest corner. The lot itself is slightly mounded with the highest point near
the middle of the cemetery. The rest of the lot slopes down slightly in all directions. The church
and dining hall are located in the eastern portion of the lot with the cemetery to the west. There
are scattered large trees on the property and there are some plantings, such as yucca bushes,
typical of rural cemeteries. A row of trees marks the north and east boundaries and County Road
485 marks the south and west edges.
"The chapel sits near the southwest corner of the property. It is a one story frame building with a
steeply pitched front-gable roof. The foundation is parged with concrete and measures 24' 6" X
36' 6." From the road, a concrete sidewalk leads to a set of steps and a stoop providing access to
the centered entrance. A simple pipe railing extends on both sides of the steps and stoop. The
entrance appears to consist of a 2-panel door with paneled sidelight, however, the narrower
sidelight is also hinged and was likely used to widen the entrance to provide access for caskets.
The entrance is topped by a 2-light transom. The transom is shaded beneath a metal awning. A
goose neck light fixture is located above the entrance. " ~ NRHP Nomination Form