Documents on the History of the First Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, Armstead Chapel, at Seven Points, in Florence.

Description

On Saturday, July 30, 1887, Rev. LC Harris published "A Card" in the "Florence Wave" informing Florentines that the CME Church of America was attempting to establish a congregation in Florence, "build a house to be dedicated to the worship of the true and living God," and was asking for financial assistance from their friends, White and Black.

No further records from the 1880s have been located however it would appear that this congregation was in fact established and by 1896 was known as the "Court Street C. M. E. Church," indicating that it was located somewhere on Court Street. On Wednesday, July 30,1896, Rev. W. Richard Palmer, ex-presiding elder of the Nashville (TN) and Courtland (AL) District, and "until recently pastor of the Court Street C. M. E. Church, Florence," passed away and his funeral was conducted in Florence.

By September of 1903 district conferences of the CME Church were being held in Florence, in this particular case at Seven Points, in a tent, with the "Florence Times" noting that "this is a small church, but it is working manfully.... They hope to put up a building next year." This is undoubtedly the origin of Armstead Chapel at Seven Points. But was the Court Street congregation still active? Or did the Court Street congregation relocate to Seven Points?

Throughout the early 1900s, newspaper references note quarterly meetings, district conferences, and district women's congresses of the Tuscumbia District in which the Florence congregation was a participating member however no name of the congregation is given. Thus precisely when Armstead Chapel was founded and when the Court Street congregation ceased to assemble, isn't known. We know that a congregation at Seven Points, in North Florence, calling itself the First Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, Armstead Chapel, existed by 1928, and may have been in existence since at least 1904.

Sheet No. 37 of the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps of April, 1921 shows a frame building on the corner of Simpson Street and Willis Avenue, heated by stoves and lighted by electricity. This could be the original (ca. 1904) building. Depicted just behind the church is a frame 1-story parsonage.

The cornerstone for a second building was laid on Sunday, April 29, 1934 by "the Masonic order" which might be a reference to Centennial Lodge No. 18, F & AM.

It seems as if by February 13, 1946 a fundraising campaign for yet another sanctuary on the corner of Simpson Street and Willis Avenue was underway, one for "for building the Armstead Chapel church." By that point, $1,050 had already been raised, which included donations by area Methodist churches as well as donations by several White Florence residents and businesses. It isn't known when the new sanctuary was completed, however, nor why Armstead Chapel chose to rebuild a mere 12 years after completing their second sanctuary. Perhaps there had been a fire, or perhaps they simply outgrew the previous building.

This page is a work in progress. More documents will be added as located.

See "Documents on the Early History of the Colored Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church in Florence" for the early history of the Court Street CME Church and the CME Church in Florence.

Source

1. Florence (AL) Times
2. Birmingham (AL) Reporter
3. Florence (AL) Times-News
4. Florence (AL) Times-News
5. Florence (AL) Times
6. Florence (AL) Times
7. Florence (AL) Times
8. Florence (AL) Times
9. Florence (AL) Times
10. Florence (AL) Times
11. Florence (AL) Times
12. Florence (AL) Times
13. Florence (AL) Times
14. Florence (AL) Tribune
15. Florence (AL) Times
16. Florence (AL) Times
17. Florence (AL) Times
18. Florence (AL) Times
19. Florence (AL) Times
20. Florence (AL) Times
21. Florence (AL) Times
22. Florence (AL) Times
23. Florence (AL) Times
24. Florence (AL) Times
25. Florence (AL) Times
26. Florence (AL) Times
27. Florence (AL) Times
28. Florence (AL) Times
29. Florence (AL) Times
30. Florence (AL) Times
31. Weekly Review (Birmingham, AL)
32. Florence (AL) Times
33. Weekly Review (Birmingham, AL)
34. Weekly Review (Birmingham, AL)
35. Florence (AL) Times
36. Florence (AL) Times
37. Florence (AL) Times
38. Florence (AL) Times
39. Huntsville (AL) Mirror
40. Huntsville (AL) Mirror
41. Huntsville (AL) Mirror
42. Huntsville (AL) Mirror
43. Huntsville (AL) Mirror
44. Huntsville (AL) Mirror
45. Huntsville (AL) Mirror
46. Huntsville (AL) Mirror
47. Huntsville (AL) Mirror
48. Huntsville (AL) Mirror
49. Huntsville (AL) Mirror
50. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps
51. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps,

Publisher

1; 3-30; 32; Bell & Howell Micro Photo Division

2; 31; 33-34; 39-49. Newspapers.com

51-52. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

Files

Collection

Religion

Citation

“Documents on the History of the First Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, Armstead Chapel, at Seven Points, in Florence.,” Shoals Black History, accessed June 8, 2026, https://shoalsblackhistory.omeka.net/items/show/1350.