Articles and documents related to Church Springs ME/St. Paul AME Church, volume I

Subject

Religion; Church Springs; St. Paul

Description

This is volume I of a collection of items related to Church Springs ME/ St. Paul AME Church. Florence historian Lee Freeman notes: "Church Springs Methodist Episcopal (ME) Church/St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, Florence’s oldest black congregation, was founded ca. 1839 on lot no. 311 on Court and Bluff Streets by slave and free members of the Methodist Church (now First Methodist) with assistance from several white trustees of that congregation. The first building was a brick cow barn built by the Hon. John McKinley purchased in 1857 from free mulatto barber John H. Rapier, Sr. (1808-1869). It was referred to as the "African Church" or the Zion African Church" but apparently chose Church Springs as its official name as the public spring ran through a corner of its property. Its first pastor was a slave of the Lightfoot and Childress families named Robert "Robin" Lightfoot (ca. 1791-1864) who was martyred in 1864 by men in Col. William A. Johnson’s 4th AL Cav., CSA, apparently for reckless behavior and/or agitating against slavery. At some unknown point Church Springs ME Church officially affiliated with the AME Church (founded in 1816 by blacks who had formerly been members of the predominantly white ME Church) to become Church Springs AME Church.



The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1870 when several African-American congregations still affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal (ME) Church, left to found their own communion of churches. This new communion attempted to appropriate existing AME Church properties, as evidenced in June of 1871 when William H. Miles, a bishop of the CME Church, attempted to claim as belonging to his church the existing Church Springs church and property in Florence. This caused apprehension on the part of the trustees at Church Springs who worried if they opened their doors to ministers of the North Alabama Conference which was convened in Florence their church and property would be taken from them. To that end Church Springs trustee Sydney De Priest, grandfather of future Republican Illinois Congressman Oscar S. De Priest, published a letter in the Florence Journal explaining the church's position.



In July of 1880 Church Springs moved to 103 W Alabama Street, on the corner of Court and Alabama into the old Fant Wool Factory (ca. 1820-1895) and changed its name to St. Paul AME Church. In August of 1895, during the pastorate of Rev. NL Edmondson, after sleepers under the floor collapsed at WC Handy’s mother Elizabeth’s (1854-1895) funeral, a new sanctuary, which was designed by local mulatto barber and musician Constantine "Constant" Perkins, Jr. (1870-1942), was built on the site. This building was torn down in 1967 and St. Paul moved to Cherokee Street; it is now known as Greater St. Paul AME Church. WC Handy’s family were affiliated with St. Paul, as was Handy’s eccentric teacher Prof. Young A. Wallace (1848-1937). "

1: Deed, Rapier & Rice to others
2: "Fair and Supper"
3: "Don't Forget"
4: "The Fair"
5: "At a Revival of Religion"
6: "Wm. H. Miles"
7: "Bishop Miles"
8: "Sydney Depriest . . ."
9: "A Conference" of the colored Northern Methodist Church
10: "The District Conference"
11: Members of the ME Church (colored) propose giving a supper
12: "Alabama African Methodist Episcopal Conference"
13: Dr. Jabius P. Campbell preaches at Methodist Church
14: Dinner given the Bishop and Elders of the AME Church
15: AME Church supper at City Hall
16: Young folks of colored Methodist Church had a supper,
17: Colored Methodist Sunday School picnic
18: Colored Methodist Church supper
19: Alabama Serenaders benefit for AME Church
20: The colored Methodists of Florence have bought the old brick building on Main street
21: Elder JD Hay (sic) Obituary
Note: The name should be JD Ray.

Source

1: Lauderdale County (AL) Deed Record Vol. 16, 1857-1861, p 122-123
2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20: Florence Gazette
6: Lauderdale Times
7, 8: Florence Journal
9, 10, 11: Florence Times-Journal
21: Florence Banner

Publisher

2, 3, 4, 5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20: Florence Gazette
6: Lauderdale Times
7, 8: Florence Journal
9, 10, 11: Florence Times-Journal
21: Florence Banner

Contributor

Lee Freeman

Rights

Images are available for educational and research purposes. This image may not be reproduced for commercial purposes without the express written consent of the copyright holder. It is the responsibility of the interested party to identify the copyright holder and receive permission.

Format

JPG

Language

English

Type

Still Image

Identifier

1: Rapier_to_Rice_&_Others_I.jpg
Rapier_to_Rice_&_Others_II.jpg
2: Fair_and_Supper.jpg
3: Don't_Forget.jpg
4: The_Fair.jpg
5: At_a_Revival_of_Religion.jpg
6: Wm._H._Miles.jpg
7: Bishop_Miles.jpg
8: Sydney_DePriest.jpg
9: A_Conference.jpg
10: The_District_Conference.jpg
11: Members_of_the_ME_(Colored)_Church_Propose_Giving_Supper.jpg
12: Alabama_African_Methodist_Episcopal_Conference.jpg
13: Dr._Jabius_P._Campbell_Preached_at_Methodist_Church.jpg
14: Dinner_Given_the_Bishop_and_Elders_by_Rush_Patton.jpg
15: AME_Church_Supper_at_City_Hall.jpg
16: Young_Folks_of_the_Colored_Methodist_Church_Had_a_Supper.jpg
17: Colored_Methodist_Sunday_School_Picnic.jpg
18: Colored_Methodist_Church_Supper.jpg
19: Alabama_Serenaders.jpg
20: Colored_Methodists_Have_Bought_Old_Brick_Building_on_Main_St.jpg
21: Elder_JD_Hay (Ray)_Obit.jpg

Original Format

Paper

Files

Rapier to Rice & Others I.jpg
Rapier to Rice & Others II.jpg
Fair and Supper.jpg
Don't Forget.jpg
The Fair.jpg
At a Revival of Religion.jpg
Wm. H. Miles.jpg
Bishop Miles.jpg
Sydney DePriest.jpg
A Conference.jpg
The District Conference.jpg
Members of the ME (Colored) Church Propose Giving Supper.jpg
Alabama African Methodist Episcopal Conference.jpg
Dr. Jabius P. Campbell Preached at Methodist Church.jpg
Dinner Given the Bishop and Elders by Rush Patton.jpg
AME Church Supper at City Hall.jpg
Young Folks of the Colored Methodist Church Had a Supper.jpg
Colored Methodist Sunday School Picnic.jpg
Colored Methodist Church Supper.jpg
Alabama Serenaders.jpg
Colored Methodists Have Bought Old Brick Building on Main St..jpg
Elder JD Hay (Ray) Obit.jpg

Collection

Religion

Citation

“Articles and documents related to Church Springs ME/St. Paul AME Church, volume I,” Shoals Black History, accessed April 23, 2024, https://shoalsblackhistory.omeka.net/items/show/711.

Item Relations

This Item dcterms:relation Item: Greater St. Paul AME 175th anniversary booklet
This Item dcterms:relation Item: St. Paul A.M.E. Church on Cherokee Street
This Item dcterms:relation Item: "St. Paul Is Visited By Her Bishop-1945"