Near Beltsville in Prince George's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Abraham Hall: An African American Benevolent Lodge
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 11, 2021
1. Abraham Hall: An African American Benevolent Lodge Marker
Abraham Hall was built in 1899 as a lodge for the Benevolent Sons and Daughters of Abraham. Chartered in 1877, this fraternal organization provided emergency financial assistance and death benefits to its members a form of insurance not otherwise available to African Americans.
The lodge became the largest and most substantial building in the African American community of Rossville, which was named after Augustus Ross, one of its first settlers. After Queen's Chapel United Methodist Episcopal Church burned down in the 1890s, church services were held in Abraham Hall until 1901, when a new chapel was built. The lodge was also used as a schoolhouse in the years before the construction of Muirkirk School in 1922.
As the first black historic site in Prince George's County to be restored with public funds, Abraham Hall marks a significant milestone in the preservation efforts of the county. Abraham Hall is owned and operated by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
Erected by Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these
this page online
Location. 39° 3.552′ N, 76° 52.398′ W. Marker is near Beltsville, Maryland, in Prince George's County. It is on Old Muirkirk Road 0.2 miles north of Muirkirk Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7612 Old Muirkirk Rd, Beltsville MD 20705, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A different marker also named Three Sisters: Close Knit Communities of the Laurel Area (here, next to
Other markers no longer nearby. Abraham Hall: A Historic African American Benevolent Lodge (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Three Sisters: Close Knit Communities of the Laurel Area (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Iron Production: Maryland's Industrial Past / The Iron Making Process (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); When the Iron was Hot: African America Ironworkers of Muirkirk (was here, next to this marker
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has replaced the linked marker.
Additional keywords. Mutual Aid
Credits. This page was last revised on December 11, 2021. It was originally submitted on December 11, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 593 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 11, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
