Cascade Valley in Akron in Summit County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Wesley Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 7, 2011
1. Wesley Temple AME Zion Church Marker
This church, founded in 1866, is the oldest Black congregation in Akron. After worshipping in several locations, the congregation held a fund-raiser to help finance the construction of a permanent home. The person collecting the most money had the privilege of renaming the church. That honor went to Mrs. Belle (Smith) Wesley. Completed in 1928, the current structure is a Neo-Classical Revival style building, featuring a classical pedimented portico, or porch, and four distinctive Ionic columns. An education wing was added in 1963 by the late Rev. Dr. E. E. Morgan, Jr. Akron Black architects Herbert L. Wardner and John O. Somerville designed the church, and then a Black contractor, Samuel Plato, completed the structure. The church has long been a vital religious and social focal point for Akron's Black community. The local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was organized at Wesley Temple. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places 3/19/94.
Erected 1995 by Wesley Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 11-77.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations
this page online
Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 41° 5.149′ N, 81° 30.612′ W. Marker was in Akron, Ohio, in Summit County. It was in Cascade Valley. It was at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr Blvd / Perkins Street (Ohio Route 59) and Prospect Street, on the right when traveling west on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd / Perkins Street. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 104 North Prospect Street, Akron OH 44304, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in Greater Cleveland and in the Western Reserve. It was also in the American Midwest. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Sojourner Truth (approx. Ό mile away); Site of Sojourner Truth's Speech on Women's Rights (approx. Ό mile away); United Rubber Workers International Union (approx. 0.3 miles away); George W. Mathews (approx. 0.4 miles away); Howard Street District (approx. 0.4 miles away); Creating Crossroads of Commerce (approx.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 7, 2011
2. Wesley Temple AME Zion Church and Marker
Another marker is no longer nearby. Akron Community Service Center and Urban League (was approx. Ό mile away but has been confirmed missing).
Also see . . . African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Wikipedia entry (Submitted on July 19, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., June 7, 2011
3. Wesley Temple AME Zion Church Cornerstone
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 10, 2026
4. Wesley Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on May 14, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 17, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,879 times since then and 83 times this year. Last updated on May 13, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 17, 2011, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. 4. submitted on May 13, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
