Madisonville in Hopkins County, Kentucky — The American South (East South Central)
Zion Temple A.M.E. Zion Church ⎯⎯⎯ The Freedom Church
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, April 25, 2021
1. Zion Temple A.M.E. Zion Church Marker
Inscription.
Zion Temple A.M.E. Zion Church, also, The Freedom Church. .
Zion Temple A.M.E. Zion Church. Founded in 1868 by Rev. Anthony Bunche, Zion Temple A.M.E. Zion Church is the oldest African-American church in Hopkins Co. It was established in an old log schoolhouse given by abolitionist Hubbard Lunsford. The current site was purchased in 1878. A larger box-type building was erected in 1881 and named Walker's Chapel for Rev. Willis Walker. ,
The Freedom Church. In 1905, work began on a two- story brick building on North Church St under the pastorate of Rey. R.B. Hendricks using all Black craftsmen. The edifice was completed in 1906 and renamed Zion Temple, In 194l, under Rev. WE. Gantt the lower church was rebuilt and continues to serve as a place of worship.
Sincere thanks to all donors.
Zion Temple A.M.E. Zion Church
Founded in 1868 by Rev. Anthony Bunche, Zion Temple A.M.E. Zion Church is the oldest African-American church in Hopkins Co. It was established in an old log schoolhouse given by abolitionist Hubbard Lunsford. The current site was purchased in 1878. A larger box-type building was erected in 1881 and named Walker's Chapel for Rev. Willis Walker.
The Freedom Church
In 1905, work began on a two-
story brick building on North
Church St under the pastorate of
Rey. R.B. Hendricks using all
Black craftsmen. The edifice was
completed in 1906 and renamed
Zion Temple, In 194l, under
Rev. WE. Gantt the lower church
was rebuilt and continues to
serve as a place of worship.
Sincere thanks to all donors
Erected 2019 by Kentucky Historical Society and Kentucky Department of Highways. (Marker Number 2611.)
87° 30.329′ W. Marker is in Madisonville, Kentucky, in Hopkins County. It is at the intersection of North Church Street and Oates Street, on the left when traveling north on North Church Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 205 North Church Street, Madisonville KY 42431, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Tri-State Region and in the Western Coal Field. It is also in the American Midwest, in the South, and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 26, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 475 times since then and 30 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on April 26, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
