Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church

Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Metropolitan AME Church in 2020
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Location	1518 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
Coordinates	38°54′19″N 77°2′9″W
Area	0.3 acres (0.12 ha)
Built	1886
Architect	Samuel G. T. Morsell
Architectural style	Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.	73002102[1]
Added to NRHP	July 26, 1973

Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church ("Metropolitan AME Church") is a historic church located at 1518 M Street, N.W., in downtown Washington, D.C. It affiliates with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

History

The congregation was founded in 1838, as Union Bethel (Metropolitan) A. M. E. Church. In 1880, John W. Stevenson was appointed by Bishop Daniel Payne to be pastor of the church for the purpose of building a new church, which would become Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. The cornerstone was laid in September, 1881. However, Stevenson's methods were upsetting to some of his congregation, and Stevenson was removed before the building was finished^[2] after asking for a salary that was deemed too high.^[3] The new building was dedicated on May 30, 1886^[4] and was constructed by architect George Dearing.^[5] According to the church, it is the oldest continuously black-owned property in the original 10-mile-square parcel of the District.^[6] The funerals of abolitionist Frederick Douglass (1895) and civil-rights activist Rosa Parks (2005) were held in the church. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In May 2010, the National Trust for Historic Preservation added the building to its list of 11 of America's Most Endangered Places due to water damage and other structural problems requiring $11 million in renovations.^[6]

President Barack Obama attended services here on Sunday, January 20, 2013, before his second inauguration.^[7]

A Black Lives Matter banner was stolen from the church and burned during a pro-Trump march on December 12, 2020.^[8] Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was later arrested by Washington, D.C. police and charged with one count of destruction of property, a misdemeanor offense.^[9][10] On January 4, 2021, the church filed a lawsuit against both Proud Boys International, LLC, and Tarrio; neither responded and the church sought default judgment against both.^[11][12][13] In June, 2023, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Neal E. Kravitz imposed civil penalties of over $1 million on the Proud Boys and four of its members, Tarrio, Joe Biggs, Jeremy Bertino and John Turano. Kravitz said that the four men had engaged in "hateful and overtly racist conduct".^[14]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in the District of Columbia

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. Cromwell, John W. "The First Negro Churches in the District of Columbia." The Journal of Negro History 7, no. 1 (1922): p73-75
3. Pastor Stevenson's Scalp, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) June 1, 1888, page 1, accessed December 9, 2016 at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7789148/pastor_stevensons_scalp_the_brooklyn/
4. Simmons, William J., and Henry McNeal Turner. Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. GM Rewell & Company, 1887. p820-828
5. "Metropolitan AME Church". nps.gov. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
6. Ruane, Michael E. (May 19, 2010). "Historic D.C. church lands on most-endangered list". The Washington Post. p. B01. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
7. Harris, Hamil R. (January 20, 2013). "Obamas attend church prior to White House swearing-in". The Washington Post. Image credits: Hamil Harris/TWP. Washington DC: WPC. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 464372658. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
8. Hermann, Peter (December 18, 2020). "Proud Boys leader says he burned Black Lives Matter banner stolen from church during demonstrations in D.C." The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
9. Hermann, Peter; Weil, Martin (January 4, 2021). "Proud Boys leader arrested in the burning of Black Lives Matter banner, D.C. police say". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
10. Lambert, Evan (January 4, 2021). "Proud Boys' leader Enrique Tarrio arrested in DC, police say". Fox 5 DC. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
11. The case is numbered 2021 CA 000004 B and is on the D.C. Superior Court's Civil II calendar which may be searched at https://eaccess.dccourts.gov/eaccess/.
12. "DC church suing Proud Boys over Black Lives Matter sign vandalism". Fox 5 DC. January 4, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
13. "Protesters Ripped, Set Fire to BLM Signs at DC Churches, Organizers Respond". NBC 5 Washington. January 4, 2020. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
14. Campbell, Josh (July 1, 2023). "Proud Boys members ordered to pay over $1 million in 'hateful and overtly racist' church destruction civil suit". CNN. Retrieved July 1, 2023.

External links

• Official website
• "Metropolitan AME Church in D.C. listed as endangered historic site". Photo gallery. The Washington Post. May 18, 2010. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012.
• Harris, Hamil R. (July 18, 2013). "Metropolitan AME celebrates 175 years". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 7, 2017.