The Spire

The Spire. . 230 N. Center Street, commonly referred to as "The Spire" today, was built in 1884 and was the first home of St. Paul Colored Methodist Church, as it was called during the Reconstruction era after the Civil War. It is the oldest African American church in San Antonio, established in 1866. Before the Civil War, the Church met in private homes located in an area called "Newcombville" near present day San Pedro Park. San Pedro Park was segregated for many years before and after Reconstruction. The leader of the African American community during Reconstruction was Lafayette Walker. He pressed the idea for making political deals with both political parties if they would provide infrastructural improvements to the black community. Walker lived a few blocks from this location. Also, during this period of history blacks were prevented from attending white churches. In 1922, the church relocated to its present day location a few blocks away at 508 N. Center Street, renaming itself St. Paul Methodist Church. Its present location, east of downtown San Antonio, reflected a movement when many African-Americans moved into what is now called St. Paul Square. This new section of town was referred to as the "Baptist Settlement" due to a large number of Black churches., The church became active in civil rights for blacks. Ministers and members in the church opposed accommodation to racism and segregation. The fight for civil rights was carried on by Reverend Matthew "Mack" Henson. Henson favored non-partisan political approaches as opposed to doing the bidding of Janies Newcomb, a Republican leader of the "Lily White" movement. Mack Henson also opposed the idea of going back to Africa, which was being promoted in the late 1800s, because he considered it to be a white supremacist strategy to remove blacks from America., Like Lafayette Walker, Henson advocated voting independently. This created the non-partisan city elections we have in San Antonio today. Church members attended Juneteenth celebrations marking the end of slavery in San Antonio where Reverend Henson replaced James Newcomb as the key note speaker on June 19, 1884 at a segregated San Pedro Park. Subsequently, Newcomb removed all blacks from the Republican Party in Texas and attempted to remove the famed African American leader Norris Wright Cuney from leadership positions. Norris Wright Cuney died in San Antonio and his daughter, Maude Cuney Hare, lived in this area. According to scholar Kenneth Mason, Reverend Henson provided leadership to the African-American community and said that blacks were oppressed by "the triple sisters of prejudice, superstition, and flattery, with ignorance as their mother.", St. Paul Colored Methodist Church, Lafayette Walker, and their leader Mack Henson fought the former slave owners and their pro-slavery allies including who would control and lead the Republican Party., St. Paul United Methodist Church was the main center of black life for many years. The church continues to operate to this day, serving the spiritual needs of a multiracial/ethnic congregation., Author: Honorable Mario Marcel Salas