Montgomery in Montgomery County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Old Ship A.M.E. Zion Church
The organization of the National W.H.O.M. Society of A.M.E. Zion Church (1880), the meeting (1887) in which it was decided to move State Normal School (now Alabama State University) from Marion to Montgomery, and the first graduation exercises of that school (1888), all took place here. President William Henry McKinley, Frederick Douglas, Booker T. Washington, Governor Thomas Kilby and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke here on various occasions.
Local lore attributes the origin of the name to a laborer involved in moving the original building. A bystander asked, "What do you have there?" and the laborer replied, "It's the Old Ship of Zion moving on."
Erected 1991 by the Alabama Historical Commission.
Location. 32° 22.276′ N, 86° 18.711′ W. Marker is in Montgomery, Alabama, in Montgomery County. Marker is at the intersection of Holcombe Street and Mildred Street, on the right when traveling north on Holcombe Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 483 Holcombe Street, Montgomery AL 36104, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Civil War - Barnes School / Figh-Pickett House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Rice-Semple-Haardt House (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been reported missing. ); Kahl Montgomery/Catoma Street Church of Christ (approx. ¼ mile away); The Five Points Area: A Unique Blend of Communities in 1965 (approx. ¼ mile away); House of the Mayors (approx. ¼ mile away); Teague House (approx. ¼ mile away); Lomax House, 1848 (approx. ¼ mile away); Ladies Memorial Association (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montgomery.
Also see . . . Welcome to Old Ship A.M.E. Zion Church. (Submitted on March 8, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
Categories. • African Americans • Churches & Religion • Education •
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on March 8, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 352 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 8, 2014, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.