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South Memphis in Shelby County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
 

Mason Temple

Church of God in Christ

 
 
Mason Temple Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Steve Masler
1. Mason Temple Marker
Inscription. This temple serves as foremost edifice at the world headquarters of the Church of God in Christ which was organized in 1897 by Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, son of former slaves. Built during World War II by the loyal members of the Church, Mason Temple is the site of Bishop Mason's entombment and also the place from which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his last speech containing the phrase, "I've been to the mountaintop," on April 3, 1968, the eve of his untimely assassination.
This property has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior.

 
Erected by Church of God in Christ.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African AmericansCivil RightsReligion & Religious Structures. A significant historical year for this entry is 1968.
 
Location. 35° 7.285′ N, 90° 2.975′ W. Marker is in Memphis, Tennessee, in Shelby County. It is in South Memphis. It can be reached from the intersection of Mason Street and Tapton Place. This marker is placed at the base of the flagpoles at the entrance to Mason Temple. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 930 Mason St, Memphis TN 38126, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in West Tennessee. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in the Upper South, in the Mississippi Delta, and in the Great River Road Region. 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 Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of
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this marker: Bishop Charles Harrison Mason (within shouting distance of this marker); Martin Stadium (approx. 0.3 miles away); WHER - The Nation's First All Girl Radio Station (approx. 0.3 miles away); Birthplace of Aretha Franklin (approx. half a mile away); Lucie Eddie Campbell (approx. half a mile away); Booker T. Washington High School (approx. half a mile away); First Baptist Church, Lauderdale (approx. 0.6 miles away); T. H. Hayes and Sons Funeral Home (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Memphis.
 
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Bishop Charles Harrison Mason, Founder of the Church of God in Christ
 
Also see . . .  I Have Been to the Mountaintop Full Speech. The speech made by Dr. King on the stormy evening of April 3, 1968 at the Mason Temple, Church of God in Christ. (Submitted on September 25, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee.) 
 
Mason Temple image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Steve Masler, September 24, 2015
2. Mason Temple
Mason Temple image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Steve Masler, September 24, 2015
3. Mason Temple
Interior of the Mason Temple image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Steve Masler, September 24, 2015
4. Interior of the Mason Temple
Pulpit from which Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his "I've been to the mountaintop" speech. image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Steve Masler, September 24, 2015
5. Pulpit from which Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his "I've been to the mountaintop" speech.
At Mason Temple
Interior of Mason Temple image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Steve Masler, September 24, 2015
6. Interior of Mason Temple
Church of God in Christ Sign image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Steve Masler, September 24, 2015
7. Church of God in Christ Sign
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 25, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,528 times since then and 67 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on September 25, 2015, by Steve Masler of Memphis, Tennessee. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
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Jun. 3, 2026