County of church: Franklin County
Location of church: Selmer St. & High St., New Haven, MO
Built: 1893
"BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE:
The oldest of the major historic black denominations, the African
Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E.) was officially organized in
1816 by representatives of sixteen African churches from
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey who objected to
racial segregation and discrimination in the white Methodist
Church. The new denomination adopted with slight changes the
doctrine and polity of the original white Methodist Episcopal
Church. During the church's first fifty years, membership was
confined almost entirely to northern free states although small
congregations were founded in a few western cities, including St.
Louis. In 1855, a division was made of the church's vast Indiana
territory which resulted in setting apart the Missouri Conference,
a new Conference district embracing slave-holding states of the
west and southwest.
"From the beginning, the church assumed a dominant role as the chief
social agency and focal point of the black community, offering
opportunity for self-expression, self-government, leadership, and
recognition which were not available elsewhere in the restricted
slave society. Following the Civil War, the black church served as
a "mediating institution", the primary "accommodating" and
socializing vehicle for millions of former slaves who were taught
the importance of education, family, economic rationality, and
other cultural norms of white society. At the same time, the
church became the "womb of black culture" affirming an African
American heritage, and thus functioned as a pole of resistance to accommodative pressures.
"The emancipation of slaves in 1863 opened up a new era of black
church expansion and growth. Thousands of new members eagerly
embraced the opportunity to participate in the first public
institution which was entirely owned and controlled by blacks and
which empowered them with a sense of pride, self-worth and
democratic fellowship. National membership in the A.M.E. Church
dramatically climbed from 20,000 at the beginning of the Civil War
to more than 450,000 in 1896. In Missouri, no A.M.E. churches had
been established west of St. Louis in 1856, at which time (there
existed only thirteen places of worship and 1,975 members. By
1890, the A.M.E. Church in Missouri reported 128 churches and
12,579 members statewide." ~ NRHP
"Erected in 1893, the A.M.E. Church of New Haven is a one story,
rectangular, frame church building of vernacular design located at
225 Selma Street in the City of New Haven, Franklin County,
Missouri. The exterior and interior survive with only minor
alterations. An historic one-story, frame privy, located at the
rear of the church property, is included in the building count.
"Facing south, the weatherboarded building measures approximately 24
feet 5 inches wide with a depth of 30 feet five inches; it rests on
low piers of undetermined material which are concealed under metal
sheathing which wraps the base of the structure. The front-gabled
roof is sheathed with corrugated metal. Double doors, featuring a
round-arched fanlight, provide entry to the church. East and west
(side) elevations are articulated with tall, round-arched windows
(double-hung with 9-over-9 lights) which are fitted with original
louvered shutters, painted green (Photos f1, #2). A small
rectangular chancel with hipped roof projects from the rear (north)
wall; small windows pierce the side walls of the chancel (Photo
#3). Situated behind the church building is a small, frame double door privy which is partially clad with corrugated metal (Photo
#3).
"The interior of the church (Photo #4) features original millwork
including window surrounds, tongue-and-groove ceiling and
wainscoting; the wood flooring is also intact. A raised platform
or rostrum separates the choir/clergy space from the congregational
assembly space. An arch on the north wall defines the projecting
chancel space which features a painting depicting Christ as the
Good Shepherd. Historic church furniture includes railback chairs,
a pulpit, and three large arm chairs for the clergy. The only
evidence of alteration is the addition of small partitioned spaces
at the south (entry) end of the building which were installed for
storage and a bathroom (Ground Floor Plan)." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"Architectural Description: This is a one-story frame gable front
church constructed in 1894. The building has a stone pier and
concrete foundation, gable roof of corrugated metal, interior
brick flue and exterior of weatherboard siding. The main
entrance has six panel double doors and an elliptical transom.
Windows are arched but configuration is not visible. Window
openings are enclosed with original louvered shutters. In the
gable is an elliptical vent.
"Historical Significance: The Anna Bell Chapel is significant for
its role in ethnic history and for its architecture. The building
is the only property presently listed on the National Register in
New Haven." ~ DNR Historic Survey, PDF page 995