Preserving our Past and Cherishing our Future Ephesians
5:15-20
Beginning Monday, April 10, 2023, Historic St. Paul AME Church (HSPAME) will embark upon preserving our church building. We will begin with painting the facade of the building.
Then, the work will move inside with updating the lightening fixtures to LED along with devices that save energy consumption. The other areas involved are the basement, which includes updating our kitchen appliances and plumbing fixtures, and repairs to the annex section and educational building.
A Brief History Our Building
In 1820, what is now known as Historic St. Paul AME (HSPAME) Church was founded when several members of the Methodist Society Church rented a brick horse stable located at 251 North Upper Street from Charles Wilkins. The church operations were supported by free Blacks who were successful entrepreneurs in the community. A local Black preacher named William Smith served as the church's first pastor. Today, HSPAME remains active in the same location in which it was founded and is recognized as being the oldest continuously used existing house of worship in Lexington.
In 1826, the current church building was built.
May 1827 per the deed records, Charles Wilkins sold the property to HSPAME members for $280.00 and the lot size was 33 x 95 feet. The Trustees who signed the deed are
Daniel Francis (who later became one of our pastors), John Skinker, Benjamin Tibbs (Slave owner), William Dolan and Peter Lewis. (Slave ownermayhavemeantthepurchase ofaspouse,anindividual'schildren,orotherrelativeswhowerenotemancipated.Ownership wasalsoaninvestment:purchasedchildrenandadultsmayormaynothavebeengiventhe opportunitytoworkofftheirpurchasepriceinexchangefortheirfreedom).
The Daily Leader, January 18, 1898, Page 5. via Newspapers.com
(https://www.newspapers.co
m/article/lexington-heraldleader-benjamin-tibbsd/117572570/ : accessed
April 8, 2023), clip page for Benjamin Tibbs death notice
In 1830, the stable was removed. A portion of the original stable remains in the foundation of the present building.
On March 15, 1850, an additional lot was purchased, 7 feet front x 95 feet back, for one dollar ($1). Charles Buckner, James Turner (who entered the ministry and pastored the church twice), Robert Dolan, Liberty Ross, and Moses Spencer
Lexington African Cemetery No#2
http://www.africancem eteryno2.org/historical -
profiles?lightbox=dataI tem-jvmvjswe3
On July 8, 1862, the Church purchased an additional lot on North Upper Street, 125 x 100 feet, for $400, which was part of the city stray pen where stray dogs and cattle were placed until identified by their owners. The stray pen would hide the scent of runaway slaves that were hiding in the Underground Railroad (UGRR) installed in the church. The UGRR was operated by free Black church members and abolitionist, and other allies who were sympathetic to their cause. Trustees on the deed are Moses Spencer, Henry Britton, Andrew Bryant, Henry Bryce, and John Bell.
Source: “Window on the War: Frances Dallam Peter's Lexington Civil War Diary”, Frances Dallam Peter, (1976)
https://www.amazon.com/Window-war-Frances-Dallam-Lexington/dp/B0006D0U3I
ON February 28, 1863, the 80 feet of the additional lot was sold for $242, leaving a present frontage at 85 feet. The Trustees were James Turner, John W. Bell and Robert Robinson.
Preserving the HSPAME Legacy
In the late 1970, HSPAME Historian, Sis. Lillian (Ballew) Gentry began researching grants designed to preserve the historic value of the HSPAME church building. She initiated a campaign to educate the community about the “hidden areas of the church”. The fact that our church served as a station on the Underground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe harbors used by slaves to escape to free states and Canada was not known at that time to most public, including some of our church members.
Sis. Gentry’s campaign was a success in educating the community about the church’s historical community leadership and the Underground Railroad, including the historical significance of the proximity of the Underground Railroad to Cheapside Park, about a seven- (7) minute walk, which was Kentucky's largest slave market, not only among Kentucky slave owners, but the deep South slave markets of New Orleans, Mississippi and more.
Through her efforts, on August 28, 1979, HSPAME was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Northside Historic Residential District, Landmark. Inventory #79000977.
https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail?assetID=fc60ecde-27b7-4d40-b07931504ca99b7f.
In 1991, HSPAME received Historic Places status on H-1 zoning and placed on the Bluegrass Trust for Historic Preservation. The H-1 zoning helps to protect and preserve areas of historic and architectural importance in Lexington.
Ironically Cheapside Park is now Henry A. Tandy Centennial Park, renamed July 2020 after emancipated slave and Black entrepreneur and HSPAME member and Trustee Henry A. Tandy.
Major repairs to the HSPAME church building, including tuck-pointing of the exterior masonry, replacing the slate roof of the bell tower, etc. are still pending. The church membership has been actively applying for grants and seeking outside financial assistance in hopes of securing the funding for these critical needs.
Online donations accepted at https://tinyurl.com/summer-restore or scan
