Natchez in Adams County, Mississippi — The American South (East South Central)
Intersection of Jefferson and North Rankin streets
Natchez Trails
Zion Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church was built in 1858 as the Second Presbyterian Church, a mission of First Presbyterian Church. Zion Chapel acquired the building in 1866, when Hiram R. Revels served as pastor. The election of Revels in 1870 to the United States Senate marked the first time that an African American served in either house of the U.S. Congress.
Hiram Revels was born free in North Carolina in 1827. As a young man, he worked as a barber before studying to become a minister at seminaries in Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio. During the Civil War, he recruited black Union regiments in Maryland and Missouri. After his arrival at Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church, he was elected to the City Council, and then to the Mississippi State Senate. After serving in the U.S. Senate 1870-1871, he became the first President of Alcorn Agricultural & Mechanical College (now Alcorn State University).
Richard King built King's Tavern about 1797 and received his first tavern license in 1799. Boatmen who floated down the Mississippi River to sell their flatboats of enslaved persons and produce frequently stopped in at the tavern on their return from New Orleans. They then headed north by foot on the Natchez Trace. Pony Express riders, who carried mail on the Natchez Trace, also used the building as a mail station.
In 1848, the parish at St. Mary Cathedral started the St. Mary's Orphan Asylum for girls (no longer standing). In 1860, the church also started D'Evereux Hall, an orphanage for boys on the outskirts of downtown. In 1966, the Church closed both orphanages and demolished the buildings. The Church sold the girls' orphanage property to Zion Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church for use as a parking lot.
In the foreground of this photograph is the G. L. C. Davis House. Superintendent of the National Telegraph line, Davis sold his home in 1858 when he resigned his position and moved to New Orleans. The for-sale advertisement described it as “the eligibly situated and new built brick house [with] a fine garden and orchard of fruit trees attached.”
Erected by City of Natchez, Mississippi.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Churches & Religion • Industry & Commerce • Women. In addition, it is included in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Mississippi - Natchez Trails series lists.
Location. 31° 33.606′ N, 91° 23.94′ W. Marker is in Natchez, Mississippi, in Adams County. Marker is at the intersection of North Rankin Street and Jefferson Street, on the right when traveling south on North Rankin Street. Marker is located along the sidewalk, at the northeast corner of the intersection. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 619 Jefferson Street, Natchez MS 39120, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. King's Tavern (within shouting distance of this marker); Intersection of High and North Rankin streets (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church (about 300 feet away); 300 Block of Martin Luther King Street (about 400 feet away); Jefferson Street Methodist Church (about 400 feet away); Intersection of Jefferson and North Union streets (about 400 feet away); Zion Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (about 400 feet away); Churches in the St. Catherine Street Neighborhood (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Natchez.
More about this marker. Marker is a large, rectangular composite plaque, mounted horizontally on waist-high metal posts.
Also see . . . Hiram Rhodes Revels. Hiram Rhodes Revels was the first African American to serve in the U.S. Congress. With his moderate political orientation and oratorical skills honed from years as a preacher, Revels filled a vacant seat in the United States Senate in 1870. Just before the Senate agreed to admit a black man to its ranks on February 25, Republican Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts sized up the importance of the moment: “All men are created equal, says the great Declaration,” Sumner roared, “and now a great act attests this verity. Today we make the Declaration a reality..." (Submitted on December 6, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 23, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 4, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 356 times since then and 50 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on December 5, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 5. submitted on December 27, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 6, 7. submitted on December 5, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.