Findlay in Hancock County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Mason Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church
Side A:
In spite of small numbers and being welcomed by the mostly white congregation of First Methodist Episcopal Church, African Americans in Findlay in the 1880s wanted to express their faith in ways that best reflected their freedoms and traditions. By the mid-1880s, the congregation was meeting in members' homes and the Odd Fellows Hall, but began fund raising to build their own church in 1885. The congregation was admitted to the North Ohio Conference of the Third Episcopal District of the African Methodist Church in 1885, one of the first churches to be so admitted. The building on Liberty Street was well underway by the end of 1887 on a lot donated by Judge D. J. Cory. The original twenty foot by forty foot building cost $2,000 and immediately became a focal point for religion and social events for Findlay's African American community.
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Side B:
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The first minister of the church was the Reverend Thomas A. Woodson, the great-grandson of Sally Hemings. The third minister was Reverend John H. Mason, under whose administration the church was finally completed and opened with services beginning on December 12, 1892. The church was named for Reverend Mason. While undergoing some physical transitions and additions, Mason Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church continues to serve as a center for religious, social, and civic life for people of many religious and cultural backgrounds.
Christ Our Redeemer
Man Our Brother
-African Methodist Episcopal Church Motto
Erected 2006 by Mason Chapel AME Church, Historic Preservation Guild of Hancock County, The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 22-32.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Churches & Religion. In addition, it is included in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, and the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is December 1862.
Location. 41° 1.895′ N, 83° 39.301′ W. Marker is in Findlay, Ohio, in Hancock County. Marker is on Liberty Street, on the left when traveling south. between Lima Street and Lima Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 845 Liberty Street, Findlay OH 45840, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. George P. Jones Home (approx. 0.3 miles away); Beneath the Surface (approx. 0.4 miles away); Moving to Markets (approx. 0.4 miles away); Marathon & Speedway (approx. 0.4 miles away); Marketing Petroleum (approx. 0.4 miles away); Versatile Hydrocarbon (approx. 0.4 miles away); Refineries Multiply (approx. 0.4 miles away); Names Will Change (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Findlay.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2019. It was originally submitted on March 27, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,396 times since then and 75 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 27, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.