Jackson Ward in Richmond, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Third Street Bethel A.M.E. Church
Photographed by Peter Sitko, August 30, 2025
1. Third Street Bethel A.M.E. Church Marker
This congregation, formed by 11 free African American Methodists ca. 1850, built its sanctuary here ca. 1856. In May 1867, the church joined the Virginia Annual Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church at its organizational meeting, held here, and became known as Third Street Bethel. Civic groups. mutual aid societies, and other organizations that were devoted to civil rights and community uplift met at the church regularly to educate and organize. On 20 Aug. 1901, Maggie L. Walker spoke here and announced her plan to establish a bank, newspaper, and emporium. Third Street Bethel was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Erected 2024 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number SA-137.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights • Religion & Religious Structures. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1850.
Location. 37° 32.865′ N, 77° 26.153′ W. Marker is in Richmond, Virginia. It is in the Jackson Ward. It is at the intersection of North 3rd Street and Jackson Street, on the right when traveling south on North 3rd Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 620 N 3rd St, Richmond VA 23219, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. 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 the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers.
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. Alfred D. A.D. Price (was about 400 feet away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Also see . . . Third Street Bethel AME Church. (Submitted on September 1, 2025.)
Photographed by Peter Sitko, August 30, 2025
2. Third Street Bethel A.M.E. Church Marker
Photographed by Peter Sitko, August 30, 2025
3. Third Street Bethel A.M.E. Church Marker
Photographed by Peter Sitko, August 30, 2025
4. Third Street Bethel A.M.E. Church Marker
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 18, 2023
5. National Register and Virginia Historic Landmarks plaques for the church
Credits. This page was last revised on March 24, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2025, by Peter Sitko of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 120 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 30, 2025, by Peter Sitko of Richmond, Virginia. 5. submitted on February 19, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
