Near Chester in Chester County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Old Zion A.M.E. Zion Church
Old Zion Church formally organized by 1873. It was originally located 2 mi. E on Goings Rd. where it shared a cemetery with St. Paul Baptist Church. Around 1890, Old Zion moved to this site on land conveyed by Martha Wise to church trustees John Franklin, Captain Jaggers, Ezekial Simpson, Nealy Walker, and Abraham Wright. Members built a wood frame church with a front tower.
Old Zion was part of a wave of African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion congregations founded in S.C. after the 1867 establishment of the Church's state conference. Old Zion disbanded sometime around 1970. The church building fell into ruins. In 2010, trustee descendants organized the Old Zion-St. Paul Halsellville Cemetery Association to maintain and preserve the site.
Erected 2024 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History, sponsored by Old Zion-St. Paul Halsellville Cemetery Association and S.C. African American Heritage Commission. (Marker Number 12-14.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the
this page online
Location. 34° 37.93′ N, 81° 18.47′ W. Marker is near Chester, South Carolina, in Chester County. It is on West End Road (South Carolina Route 72/121) south of Carter Road ( Route 121), on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2231 West End Rd, Chester SC 29706, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands and in the Olde English District. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. 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 original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: St. Paul Baptist Church at Halsellville / Carter Colored School (approx.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), January 18, 2026
4. Old Zion A.M.E. Zion Church Memorial Site
Credits. This page was last revised on January 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 59 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
