St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church (Cleveland)

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St. John's AME Church
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Location2261 E. 40th St., Cleveland, Ohio
Coordinates 41°29′48″N81°39′22″W / 41.49667°N 81.65611°W / 41.49667; -81.65611
Arealess than one acre
Built1908
ArchitectBadgley & Nicklas; Aring, John F.
Architectural styleGothic, Gothic eclectic
MPS Black History TR
NRHP reference No. 82001370 [1]
Added to NRHPDecember 17, 1982

St. John's African Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic church at 2261 East 40th Street in Cleveland, Ohio.

Founded in 1836 [2] by six fugitive slaves, [3] St. John's AME Church was first African American Christian congregation ever formed in Cleveland. [3] The congregation has a long history of civil rights activism. [2] Its original church building was known as "Station Hope" on the Underground Railroad. [4] Under the pastorate of Rev. Reverdy C. Ransom (1893 to 1896), it implemented an extensive program of social outreach, including education classes, kindergarten, sports, and health. [5] The congregation hosted Booker T. Washington in 1897 [6] and W. E. B. Du Bois in 1908. [7]

The congregation began construction on a permanent church home in February 1908. [8] [9] The English Gothic [8] style building was designed by the local architectural firm of Badgley & Nicklas. [2] [8] Construction ws completed in mid December 1908. [9] At the time, it was the largest church ever constructed by a Black congregation in the city of Cleveland. [10]

It was added to the National Register in 1982. It is considered a historic Black church in Cleveland, [11] and is a city-designated Cleveland Historic Landmark. [12]

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 Rice, Karen Connelly (December 7, 2023). "St. John African Methodist Episcopal Church: A Pillar of Civil Rights and Community". FreshWater Cleveland. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
  3. 1 2 LaRoche, Cheryl Janifer (2025). Apostle of Liberation: AME Bishop Paul Quinn and the Underground Railroad. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 51. ISBN   9781538198117.
  4. ↑ Calarco, Tom; Vogel, Cynthia; Grover, Kathryn; Hallstrom, Rae; Pope, Sharron L.; Waddy-Thibodeaux, Melissa (2011). Places of the Underground Railroad: A Geographical Guide. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood Press. p. 79. ISBN   9780313381461.
  5. ↑ Bryan, Mary Lynn; De Angury, De Maree, eds. (2017). Selected Papers of Jane Addams: Creating Hull-House and an International Presence, 1889-1900. Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois Press. p. 728. ISBN   9780252040979 ; Smith, Gary Scott, ed. (2021). American Religious History: Belief and Society Through Time. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC=CLIO. p. 232. ISBN   9781440861604.
  6. ↑ "In the South". The Cleveland Press. February 15, 1897. p. 2; "To Lift Up A race". The Cleveland Leader. February 15, 1897. p. 7.
  7. ↑ "Riot Deplored By Negro". The Plain Dealer. August 31, 1908. p. 2.
  8. 1 2 3 "New St. John's African Methodist Episcopal Church". The Plain Dealer. February 16, 1908. p. 8.
  9. 1 2 "Bishop Praises Pastor". The Plain Dealer. December 14, 1908. p. 5.
  10. ↑ Harris, Danita (December 23, 2024). "The Future of Faith: Historic St. John AME Church in Cleveland embraces change to secure its mission". WKYC. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  11. ↑ Huesken, Mary Ellen Crowley; Perkins, Olivera (July 2, 2025). "Explore this map of some of Cleveland's historic Black churches". Signal Cleveland. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  12. ↑ Cleveland Planning Commission (2025). "Cleveland Designated Landmarks. Property Detail: St. John AME Church". planning.clevelandohio.gov. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
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