Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church

{{short description|Historic church in Washington, D.C., United States}}

{{Use American English|date = December 2019}} {{Use mdy dates|date = December 2019}} {{Infobox NRHP | name = Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church | nrhp_type = | image = Metropolitan AME Church (53821005304).jpg | caption = Metropolitan AME Church in 2025 | location = 1518 M Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. | coordinates = {{coord|38|54|19|N|77|2|9|W|display=inline,title}} | locmapin = United States Washington, D.C. central#Washington, D.C.#USA | built = 1886 | architect = Samuel G. T. Morsell | architecture = Gothic Revival | added = July 26, 1973 | area = {{convert|0.3|acre}} | refnum = 73002102<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref> }} '''Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church''' ("Metropolitan AME Church") is a historic church located at 1518 M Street, N.W., in downtown Washington, D.C. It affiliates with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

==History== The congregation was founded in 1838, as Union Bethel (Metropolitan) A. M. E. Church. In 1880, John W. Stevenson was appointed by Bishop Daniel Payne to be pastor of the church for the purpose of building a new church, which would become Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. The cornerstone was laid in September, 1881. However, Stevenson's methods were upsetting to some of his congregation, and Stevenson was removed before the building was finished<ref>Cromwell, John W. "The First Negro Churches in the District of Columbia." The Journal of Negro History 7, no. 1 (1922): p73-75</ref> after asking for a salary that was deemed too high.<ref>Pastor Stevenson's Scalp, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) June 1, 1888, page 1, accessed December 9, 2016 at https://www.newspapers.com/clip/7789148/pastor_stevensons_scalp_the_brooklyn/</ref> The new building was dedicated on May 30, 1886<ref>Simmons, William J., and Henry McNeal Turner. Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. GM Rewell & Company, 1887. p820-828</ref> and was constructed by architect George Dearing.<ref name=nps>{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc60.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070824005256/http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc60.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 24, 2007 |title=Metropolitan AME Church |website=nps.gov |access-date=7 July 2016}}</ref> According to the church, it is the oldest continuously black-owned property in the original 10-mile-square parcel of the District.<ref name="wapo">{{cite news |last=Ruane |first=Michael E. |date=May 19, 2010 |title=Historic D.C. church lands on most-endangered list |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2010/05/18/ST2010051806169.html?sid=ST2010051806169 |access-date=May 20, 2010 |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=B01}}</ref> The funerals of abolitionist Frederick Douglass (1895) and civil-rights activist Rosa Parks (2005) were held in the church. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

=== 21st century === [[File:Obamas at church on Inauguration Day 2013.jpg|left|thumb|192x192px|Barack and Michelle Obama attend the church services on Inauguration Day, 2013.]]

In May 2010, the National Trust for Historic Preservation added the building to its list of 11 of America's Most Endangered Places due to water damage and other structural problems requiring $11 million in renovations.<ref name="wapo" />

President Barack Obama attended services here on Sunday, January 20, 2013, before his second inauguration.<ref name="WashPost-2484124">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obamas-to-attend-church-prior-to-white-house-swearing-in/2013/01/20/735b20ba-6300-11e2-85f5-a8a9228e55e7_story.html |title=Obamas attend church prior to White House swearing-in|work=The Washington Post |date=January 20, 2013 |publisher=WPC |location=Washington DC |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=464372658 |access-date=May 14, 2014 |others=Image credits: Hamil Harris/TWP|first=Hamil R. |last=Harris}}</ref>

A Black Lives Matter banner was stolen from the church and burned during a pro-Trump march on December 12, 2020.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hermann|first=Peter|date=December 18, 2020|title=Proud Boys leader says he burned Black Lives Matter banner stolen from church during demonstrations in D.C.|language=en-US|work=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/enrique-tarrio-proud-boys-black-lives-matter-sign/2020/12/18/c056c05e-415a-11eb-8db8-395dedaaa036_story.html|access-date=January 4, 2021|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio was later arrested by Washington, D.C. police and charged with one count of destruction of property, a misdemeanor offense.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hermann|first=Peter|last2=Weil|first2=Martin|date=January 4, 2021|title=Proud Boys leader arrested in the burning of Black Lives Matter banner, D.C. police say|language=en-US|work=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/proud-boys-enrique-tarrio-arrest/2021/01/04/8642a76a-4edf-11eb-b96e-0e54447b23a1_story.html|access-date=January 4, 2021|issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref name="FoxELDC">{{cite news |last1=Lambert |first1=Evan |title=Proud Boys' leader Enrique Tarrio arrested in DC, police say |url=https://www.fox5dc.com/news/proud-boys-leader-enrique-tarrio-arrested-in-dc-police-say |access-date=5 January 2021 |publisher=Fox 5 DC |date=January 4, 2021}}</ref> On January 4, 2021, the church filed a lawsuit against both Proud Boys International, LLC, and Tarrio; neither responded and the church sought default judgment against both.<ref>The case is numbered 2021 CA 000004 B and is on the D.C. Superior Court's Civil II calendar which may be searched at https://eaccess.dccourts.gov/eaccess/.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.fox5dc.com/news/dc-church-suing-proud-boys-over-black-lives-matter-sign-vandalism|title=DC church suing Proud Boys over Black Lives Matter sign vandalism|publisher=Fox 5 DC|date=January 4, 2020|access-date=January 5, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/proud-boys-leader-arrested-sued-for-allegedly-destroying-churchs-blm-sign/2529006/|title=Protesters Ripped, Set Fire to BLM Signs at DC Churches, Organizers Respond|publisher=NBC 5 Washington|date=January 4, 2020|access-date=January 5, 2020}}</ref> In June, 2023, District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Neal E. Kravitz imposed civil penalties of over $1 million on the Proud Boys and four of its members, Tarrio, Joe Biggs, Jeremy Bertino and John Turano. Kravitz said that the four men had engaged in "hateful and overtly racist conduct".<ref>{{cite news | last =Campbell | first =Josh | title =Proud Boys members ordered to pay over $1 million in ‘hateful and overtly racist’ church destruction civil suit | newspaper =CNN | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =July 1, 2023 | url = https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/01/politics/proud-boys-fined-ame-church-destruction/index.html | access-date =July 1, 2023 }}</ref> On February 3, 2025, Judge Tanya Jones Bosier issued a $2.8 million default judgement against the Proud Boys that included giving the church rights to the name "Proud Boys" and control of trademarks owned by the group.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Feuer |first=Alan |date=2025-02-03 |title=Proud Boys Lose Control of Their Name to a Black Church They Vandalized |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/us/politics/proud-boys.html |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=New York Times}}</ref>

In January 2026, the church announced plans to try and construct micro-apartments for homeless veterans behind the sanctuary. In statements to ''The Washington Post'', church leaders said that the plan was in the concept stage, and was likely three to five years from completion.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Clarence |date=12 January 2026 |title=A historic church pushes plans to help unhoused veterans |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/01/12/metropolitan-ame-church-housing-veterans/ |access-date=12 January 2026 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

== Gallery == <gallery> File:Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church is known as "The National Cathedral of African Methodism," Washington, D.C LCCN2010641816.tif|Carol M. Highsmith's 2010 photograph of the church. File:Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church is known as "The National Cathedral of African Methodism," Washington, D.C LCCN2010641818.tif|A band in the church, 2010; also photographed by Highsmith. File:Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, BLM, 2025.jpg|Exterior of the church in 2025, with Black Lives Matter banner visible File:Metropolitan A.M.E. Church (Washington, D.C.).jpg|The facade in 2020. File:Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, Interior, 2025.jpg|2025 interior during President's Day Press Conference. </gallery> center|thumb|396x396px|Interior of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, 2025.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church}} * {{Official website|http://www.metropolitaname.org/}} * {{cite news |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2010/05/18/GA2010051805547.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121110151457/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2010/05/18/GA2010051805547.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= November 10, 2012 |title= Metropolitan AME Church in D.C. listed as endangered historic site |work= Photo gallery |publisher= The Washington Post |date= May 18, 2010 }} * {{cite news |title=Metropolitan AME celebrates 175 years |first=Hamil R. |last=Harris |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/metropolitan-ame-celebrates-175-years/2013/07/18/8f6048fe-ecde-11e2-a1f9-ea873b7e0424_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=July 18, 2013 |access-date=July 7, 2017}}

Category:1838 establishments in the United States Category:19th-century Methodist church buildings in the United States Category:African Methodist Episcopal churches Category:African-American history of Washington, D.C. Category:Churches completed in 1886 Category:Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington, D.C. Category:Gothic Revival church buildings in Washington, D.C. Category:Religious organizations established in 1838