Abolition Church, 8 Smith Court, Boston, Suffolk County, MA. Surveyed as HABS MASS,13-BOST,42-, with 1 photograph, 1 measured drawing and a 639-word written history.
“Organized in as the First African Baptist Church, the Abolition Church was the first black church in Boston and is the oldest extant black church in the United States.”
Written record, HABS MASS,13-BOST,42- survey. Machine-read text.
surveyed by the federal HABS program as HABS MASS,13-BOST,42- · the record runs 639 words · one of 264 surveyed structures published for this county.
1 photograph and 1 measured drawing from the federal survey record, Library of Congress.
Source document Quoted word for word from HABS MASS,13-BOST,42-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.
Organized in as the First African Baptist Church, the Abolition Church was the first black church in Boston and is the oldest extant black church in the United States. Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison organized the New England Anti-Slavery Society here on January 6, PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Bate of construction: 2. Original and subsequent owners (partial list): congregation of First African Baptist Church (continuous use by various black congregations) purchased by Congregation Lebariz for use as a synagogue (continuous use as a synagogue until Museum of Afro-American History, Inc. 3. Builders: members of the original congregation 4.
Original plans and construction: It is probable that the craftspeople building the church were influenced by Asher Benjamin's plans for the (new) Old West Church and Charles Street Meeting House in Boston. There is evidence that salvage from the original Old West Church was incorporated into the Abolition Church. 5. Alterations and additions: The building was damaged by fire in and is undergoing rehabilitation. An renovation probably included relocation of the stairs, construction of the curved double ogee wall between the narthex and the sanctuary, and the installation of arched rather than rectangular windows facing Smith Court. ABOLITION CHURCH (Boston African American National Historic Site) HABS No. MA-2-74 (Page 2) B.
Historical Context: This church was organized in by Reverend Thomas Paul and 20 others as the first Mack church in Boston. The "building was "built a year later. As the only sizable meeting place owned "by blacks in the city, First African Baptist became the focal point of civic as well as religious activities. For example, a school for black children operated on the ground floor from and William Lloyd Garrison founded the New England Anti-Slavery Society here in after having been denied the use of Paneuil Hall. The Abolition Church is the oldest extant black church in the United States as well as the oldest in Boston. PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1.
Architectural character: The meeting house is a simple Federal style building retaining much of its nineteenth century flavor. 2. Condition of fabric: The roof and interior were damaged in a fire in but rehabilitation is underway. B. Description of Exterior: 1. Over-all dimensions: 40 feet wide by 48 feet deep 2. Walls: Made of brick laid in Flemish bond; front and side facades are four-bayed. 3. Windows: Four two-story arched windows pierce the upper floors of the front of the building, while the sides have double-hung sash windows on all levels. 4. Roof: a. Covering: slate b. Cornice: A brick cornice projects slightly beyond the plane of the front wall. C. Site: The church stands on Beacon Hill on a narrow court surrounded by brick and clapboard dwellings. PART III.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION African Meeting House (First African Baptist Church), National Historic Landmark nomination form, Mitchell, Burditt, and Associates, Inc. Museum of Afro-American History, Prepared and transmitted by: Holly K. Chamberlain, Historian HAES, June iO,
| Boston, Massachusetts | The place record: every map, photograph and survey of this town. |
| Suffolk County, Massachusetts | 165 topographic sheets across the county. |
| Library of Congress record | The original filed report, and the sheets the survey produced. Those published here appear above. |
The federal surveyors worked through Boston building by building. These are the other structures they measured and filed a report on, longest report first.
| Sheet | Structure | Survey | Report |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Boston Elevated Railway | HAER MASS,13-BOST,127- | 34,555 words |
| Charlestown Navy Yard | HAER MA-90-3 | 26,428 words | |
| Boston Government Service Center | HABS MA-1356 | 24,952 words | |
 | B. F. Keith Memorial Theatre | HABS MASS,13-BOST,69- | 23,514 words |
 | East Boston Steam Pump Station | HAER MASS,13-BOST,138- | 19,247 words |
 | Harvard Bridge | HAER MASS,13-BOST,79- | 14,362 words |
 | Fenway Court | HABS MA-1334 | 13,845 words |
 | Charles Street Jail Complex | HABS MASS,13-BOST,143A- | 11,650 words |
 | Deer Island Pumping Station | HAER MASS,13-BOST,137- | 9,553 words |
 | Deer Island Pumping Station | HABS MASS,13-BOST,132- | 9,107 words |
 | Northern Avenue Swing Bridge | HAER MASS,13-BOST,84- | 8,275 words |
 | Summer Street Retractile Bridge | HAER MASS,13-BOST,87- | 8,144 words |
 | Charlestown Navy Yard | HAER MA-90-30 | 7,907 words |
 | Broadway Bridge | HAER MASS,13-BOST,135- | 7,746 words |
 | New York | HAER MASS,13-BOST,82- | 7,687 words |
 | Deer Island House of Correction | HABS MASS,13-BOST,144A- | 7,466 words |
 | Deer Island House of Correction | HABS MASS,13-BOST,144B- | 6,420 words |
 | Franklin Park Zoo | HABS MA-1316 | 6,293 words |
 | South Station Tower No. 1 & Interlocking System | HAER MASS,13-BOST,86- | 5,502 words |
 | Summer Street Bridge | HAER MASS,13-BOST,139- | 5,482 words |
 | Congress Street Bascule Bridge | HAER MASS,13-BOST,77- | 5,232 words |
 | Anderson Electric Company | HABS MASS,13-BOST,142- | 4,832 words |
 | 72 Marlborough Street | HAER MASS,13-BOST,72- | 4,792 words |
 | Charlestown Navy Yard | HAER MA-90-69 | 4,488 words |
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