Metropolitan AME Church 2nd Annual Historic Preservation and Restoration
CRAB FEAST
Friday, September 16, 2011
7:30 PM
Martin’s Cross Winds
7400 Greenway Center Drive
Greenbelt, Maryland
MENU: Endless steamed, hard shelled crabs, plus a sumptuous buffet of succulent beef, pork, chicken and seafood entrees; tasty vegetables and salads; luscious desserts; and beverages.
Tickets: $60.00 per person
For more information contact Isiah Dupree at 301-452-8078 or idupree@hotmail.com
Sponsored by the Mighty Men of Metropolitan and the Love and Peace Unit of the Sarah Allen Missionary Society
The “Episcopacy Window” – one of twenty-nine (29) windows in The Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church (MAMEC) of Washington, DC – was recently restored, as part of the restoration project. Although the church is still undergoing restoration, the 123-year old “Episcopacy Window” – having completed a “journey” from the church to the restoration studio of Higgins & Associates in Front Royal, Virginia – is now back in all of its splendor and beauty, and resting majestically in its original location on the balcony level of the sanctuary. To protect the window during removal for restoration and re-installation, scaffolding was built around the window – both inside and outside.
This brochure was written and produced by Metropolitan A.M.E. Public Relations Commission member Delores Zimmerman‐Jeter with assistance from PRC members Nancy Harvin and Ruby Gourdine. Photographs were provided by Higgins & Associates, Stained Glass Restoration Studio.
Table of Contents:
The Episcopacy Window – Preparation for Removal, Page 1
Interview with Trustee Terry Johnson, Page 3
Interview with Gene Higgins of Higgins & Associates, Page 7
Interview with Reverend Dr. Louis-Charles Harvey, Page 14
Interview with Deaconess Nellie Abner, Page 14
Interview with Reverend Johanna Green, Page 17
Episcopacy Window Angular Pane, Page 21
Episcopacy Window Installed – After Restoration, Page 25
Notes, Page 26
The DC Preservation League, Washington’s only citywide non-profit historic preservation organization promoting the preservation and enhancement of the District’s historic and built environment, issued its annual list of Most Endangered Places in Washington for 2010.
This list, issued annually since 1996, is selected by the Board of Trustees of the DC Preservation League from nominations submitted by concerned individuals and organizations across the city. These sites are selected based on the severity of the threats to the buildings and landscapes in question, whether through demolition, neglect, or inappropriate alteration. The list can include buildings, parks or other landscaped areas, as well as vistas and other aspects of the city’s unique planned history. All Most Endangered Places listed are located in the District of Columbia.
The sites on the 2010 list of Most Endangered Places in Washington are: Anne Archbold Hall, District of Columbia Historic Firehouses, Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, and 2228, 2234, 2238 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE and 2253 Mount View Place, SE located within the Anacostia Historic District.
“Since 1821, when a group of free and enslaved African Americans formed its congregation, Metropolitan AME Church, the national cathedral of African Methodism, has been much more than a spiritual sanctuary. A major landmark of African American heritage and one of the most important religious institutions in the United States, Metropolitan AME’s red brick Victorian Gothic-style church, completed in 1886, was constructed by donations – large and small – from AME congregations across the country. Their goal was to establish a permanent presence for the AME denomination just a short distance from the White House and the U.S. Capitol in order to pressure the federal government for equal treatment of African American people.” . . . Read more and leave your comments on our page at the National Trust for Historic Preservation site.
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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Metropolitan AME Church 2nd Annual Historic Preservation and Restoration
