Orange Mound in Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Mt. Pisgah C.M.E. Church

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 25, 2022

1. Mt. Pisgah C.M.E. Church Marker

Inscription. Mt. Pisgah, founded in 1879 by ex-slaves, is one of the oldest churches and the only Christian Methodist Episcopal (C. M. E.) Church in the Orange Mound community. The Reverend J. C. Powell served as the church's first pastor. Erected in 1929, members of this Gothic Revival structure housed refugees during Arkansas' 1937 “Great Flood.” In 1950, Mt. Pisgah hosted the Tennessee NAACP Conference. In 2007, the Memphis Federal Building was renamed after Mt. Pisgah member Odell Horton, Memphis' first African American federal judge.

Erected by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 4E 178.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church, and the Tennessee Historical Commission series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1879.

Location. 35° 6.514′ N, 89° 58.767′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in Orange Mound. It is at the intersection of Marechalneil Street and Park Avenue, on the right when traveling north on Marechalneil Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2490 Park Ave, Memphis TN 38114, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West Tennessee.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

in the Upper South,

in the Mississippi Delta,

and in the Great River Road Region.

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,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within

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walking distance of this marker: Deaderick Family Cemetery (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Orange Mound (approx. 0.2 miles away); Melrose School (approx. ¼ mile away); Mt. Moriah Baptist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Zippin Pippin / Libertyland (approx. 0.8 miles away); Gold Star Families Memorial Monument (approx. 0.9 miles away); Johnny Cash's First Performance / Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two (approx. 0.9 miles away); Johnny Cash (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Heiskell Farm (was approx. ¾ mile away but has been confirmed missing).

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 25, 2022

2. Mt. Pisgah C.M.E. Church Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 27, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,176 times since then and 91 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 27, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.