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Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church

Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church, originally uploaded by in2jazz.

Quinn Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church – 2401 S. Wabash Avenue, Chicago

"This church houses Chicago’s oldest African-American congregation, which traces its origins back to 1844, when seven individuals formed a nondenominational prayer group that met in the house of one of its members. In 1847, the group organized as a congregation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Named for Bishop William P. Quinn, the church played an important role in the city’s abolitionist movement. After the Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed the original church, the congregation met for many years in temporary locations. The congregation purchased the present site in 1890, and the current church is a reminder of the late-19th century character of the area."

Quinn Chapel has special significance in my family. I attended there as a young adult. My mom has been an active member since she was 8 or 9 years old. My dad served as a trustee, steward, and sang in the choir. I took these photos of the church when I was home in June. It is an amazing structure that I have come to appreciate more as I have gotten older. This church has served the community for many years and I hope that it will continue to do so for years to come.

Quinn Chapel is currently one of the 25 sites being considered in the American Express Partners in Preservation Chicago Initiative. There is a daily online voting process for the historical sites under consideration which runs through October 10, 2007.

For voting and additional information, www.partnersinpreservation.com/index.php

For a slideshow of Quinn Chapel photos, http://www.flickr.com/photos/in2jazz/sets/72157602031582958/show/

Photo Credit: James Knox

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 16th, 2007 at 3:47 am. It is filed under Special Feature and tagged with Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.