About this Event
A group of African Americans (12 women and 4 men) who refused to accept segregated seating in the First Baptist Church of New York City formed The Abyssinian Baptist Church in lower Manhattan in 1808. The church name was inspired by the ancient name of Ethiopia, Abyssinia. Abyssinian is one of the oldest African-American congregations in America and the first African-American Baptist church in New York. From its original location in lower Manhattan, Abyssinian followed the northward movement of Manhattan's black community until building its present church complex, designed by Charles W. Bolton & Son in 1922-23, at 132-134 Odell Clark Place in Harlem.
The Philadelphia-based architects were prolific church designers who specialized in Presbyterian churches but who also built for various Protestant denominations throughout the country. For Abyssinian, the firm designed two handsome fieldstone-faced neo-Gothic buildings with Tudor-inspired details. By 1939, Abyssinian was considered the world's largest Baptist church. Under the leadership of Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. and his son, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Abyssinian served at the forefront of the national crusade for social reform and civil rights. Today, it remains one of the most prominent African-American institutions in the nation. The church and matching community house were designated an individual NYC landmark in 1993.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Abyssinian Baptist Church, 132 West 138th Street, New York, United States
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