Kayton/Frazier Area in Savannah in Chatham County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Saint Philip A.M.E. Church
Saint Philip A.M.E. Church has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 by the United States Department of the Interior
Erected 2023 by William G. Pomeroy Foundation. (Marker Number 489.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Religion & Religious Structures. In addition, it is included in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1984.
Location. 32° 4.221′ N, 81° 6.071′ W. Marker is in Savannah, Georgia, in Chatham County. It is in the Kayton/Frazier Area. It is on Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard south of West Huntingdon Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 613 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Savannah GA 31401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Coastal Plain and on the Georgia Coast and the Golden Isles. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep 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 New Spain, 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 walking distance of this marker: McKelvey-Powell Building (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Dr. Ralph Mark Gilbert (1899-1956) (about 700 feet away); Old Jewish Burial Ground (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bynes-Royall Funeral Home
this page online
Also see . . . National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for St. Philip A.M.E. Church.
This form was prepared by Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr., Historian with the Historic Preservation Section of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources on June 13, 1984. The statement of significance begins on page 4:
Saint Philip A.M.E. Church is significant in architecture and religion. In architecture, Saint Philip A.M.E. Church is significant as an excellent example of the use of Romanesque architecture for a religious structure, reminiscent of the origin of the style in the Middle Ages for churches. The columns, arches, stained glass, and masonry are all elements of this style seen in this church, as is its overall form and arrangement. It is also significant as a work of noted black architect John A. Lankford (b. 1874), a graduate of Tuskegee Institute and the Architectural College of Scranton, Pennsylvania.(Submitted on May 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.)In 1908 and 1912, he was chosen supervising architect by the General Conference of the A.M.E. Church. The church is also significant in religion as the Mother Church of Georgia's A.M.E. churches. This A.M.E. congregation was the first to be founded in Georgia, in 1865. This church has been a focal point for black religions and social life in Savannah since its completion. These areas of significance support the property's eligibility under National Register criteria A and C.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 23, 2026
4. Church Cornerstone
Church
Organized
June 6, 1866
Credits. This page was last revised on May 30, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 5 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 30, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
