Saint Andrews African Methodist Episcopal Church (Sacramento, California)
| St. Andrews A.M.E. Church | |
|---|---|
 St. Andrews A.M.E. Church, c. 1926 | |
| Location | 2131 Eighth Street, Sacramento, Sacramento County, California, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 38°35′03″N 121°29′46″W / 38.584217°N 121.496033°W |
| Founded | 1850 |
| Designated | May 5, 1994 |
| Reference no. | 1013[1] |
| Plaque location | 715 Seventh Street, Sacramento, Sacramento County, California, U.S. |
| Founder | Daniel Blue |
The Saint Andrews African Methodist Episcopal Church is an African Methodist Episcopal Church in Sacramento, California, founded in 1850. It was the first African American church in California[2] and the first AME Church on the West Coast of the United States.[3] It was originally located at 715 Seventh Street, which is marked by a historical plaque.[1] This church is still active, and is presently located at 2131 Eighth Street in Sacramento. It is listed as a California Historical Landmark (number 1013) since May 5, 1994.[1] It was formerly known as the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church and the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
History
[edit]The congregation was founded in 1850 and a year later it was admitted into the African Methodist Episcopal Church, becoming the first on the West Coast.[1] It was initially known as the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church and when it became part of the AME the name was changed to Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.[1][4] During 1850, California became an official state; and the California Gold Rush had recently started two years earlier.[2] Many African Americans were working in the gold mining areas near Sacramento,[2] some in search of their own wealth, and freedom as gold miners, and others working under Southern gold miners.
Daniel Blue (1796–1884), had founded the church.[2][3][5] Blue was formerly enslaved in Kentucky, and had made his fortunes in gold mining in California; and Blue had held his first church service in his own basement.[5][3][6] Some of the earliest congregation included Mary Robinson Thames, and Ethel Guinn.[2] The first pastor was Barney Fletcher, however he wasn't officially ordained.[2] Other early pastors included Rev. James Fitzgerald from 1851 to 1852; Rev. A. Giles from 1852 to 1854; Rev. George Fletcher from 1853 to 1854; and Rev. Darius Stokes from 1854 to 1856.[2] Thomas Marcus Decatur Ward had worked as briefly as the first Sunday School teacher and as a pastor.[2] In 1854, Elizabeth Thorn Scott Flood had started an early African American school at her home with the help of this church.
The Saint Andrews African Methodist Episcopal Church had served as a community meeting place. In November 1855, the church was the site of the first California State Convention of Colored Citizens, and the following conventions in 1856, and 1865.[2][7][4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Site of the First African American Episcopal Church Established on the Pacific Coast". Office of Historic Preservation (OHP), State of California.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Taylor, Martha C. (2016-06-24). From Labor to Reward: Black Church Beginnings in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond, 1849-1972. Wipf and Stock Publishers. pp. 5–6, 8, 12. ISBN 978-1-4982-3281-4.
- ^ a b c "How the Founder of California's First Black Church Fought Its Last Known Slavery Case". KQED. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ a b "Five Views: An Ethnic Historic Site Survey for California (Black Americans)". nps.gov. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ a b "Daniel Blue, Church Administrator born". African American Registry (AAREG). Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ "Black History Month: Sacramento Man Daniel Blue Freed Last Known Slave In California". CBS News. February 19, 2021. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ Taylor, Quintard (1999-05-17). In Search of the Racial Frontier: African Americans in the American West 1528-1990. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 90–92. ISBN 978-0-393-31889-0.