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The DC Preservation League has added Metropolitan AME to the Endangered Historic Places list.

Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church
1518 M Street, NW
DC Inventory of Historic Sites (1973)
National Register of Historic Places (1973)

The Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church located at 1518 M Street, NW is home to Washington DC’s oldest African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) congregation. Designed by architect Samuel G. T. Morsell, the Gothic style brick building has been a bastion of civil and human rights since its dedication on May 30, 1886. The Metropolitan
Church was founded in 1838 to minister to the spiritual needs of Washington DC’s African American population. Like its parent domination, the Metropolitan Church was rooted in opposition to slavery and the belief that African Americans were entitled to equality. A.M.E. members throughout the nation contributed funds to construct the Metropolitan Church. Their gifts are memorialized in Gothic building’s majestic stained glass windows, which document the growth of the A.M.E. denomination during the nineteenth century. The church’s parishioners have included leading members of Washington DC’s African American community, including Frederick Douglass, whose funeral services were held at the church. Known as “the National Cathedral of African Methodism,” the building continues to play an important role in the spiritual life of Washington, DC.

The 125-year-old Metropolitan A.M.E. Church is in need of extensive repairs and renovation. The building’s exterior walls suffer from structural cracks and water infiltration and outdated mechanical systems are taxing the already limited financial resources of the congregation. The original stained glass windows are also deteriorating. In the face of these challenges, the 1100-member congregation recently began a capital campaign to raise funds to remove, restore, and reinstall the stained glass windows. By listing the Metropolitan Church on the Most Endangered Places List, the DC Preservation League aims to marshal the expertise and resources of the preservation community to assist in the congregation’s efforts.

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