Abraham Hall

Abraham Hall, constructed in 1889, is located on the northeast side of Old Muirkirk Road in the center of the historic African American community of Rossville, a section of Prince George's County, Maryland near Beltsville.

Abraham Hall
Abraham Hall, December 2008
Abraham Hall is located in Maryland
Abraham Hall
Abraham Hall is located in the United States
Abraham Hall
Location7612 Old Muirkirk Rd, Beltsville, Maryland
Coordinates39°3′40″N 76°52′24″W
Area3.9 acres (1.6 ha)
Built1889 (1889)
ArchitectJohn W. Jackson
MPSAfrican-American Historic Resources of Prince George's County, Maryland
NRHP reference No.05000146[1]
Added to NRHPMarch 14, 2005

It was constructed by the Benevolent Sons and Daughters of Abraham, an African American society that was established for the social welfare of its members. Originally known as Rebecca Lodge #6 of the Benevolent Sons and Daughters of Abraham, the building was constructed by John W. Jackson in 1889 in the burgeoning community of Rossville. Abraham Hall, an excellent example of a multi-purpose building associated with African Americans, served as a meeting hall, a house of worship, a school, and a social hall for African Americans living in a segregated society.[2] The lodge hall functioned as the community black school, until a Rosenwald School was built in 1922.[3][4]

The structure is set back from the road on a 3.85-acre (1.56 ha) grassy lot with mature trees. It is a three-bay, two-story gable front frame lodge building with a brick foundation, wood lap siding with cornerboards, and a shake roof with a boxed cornice. A brick chimney rises from the northwest slope of the roof. Both the interior and exterior of the building were carefully restored between 1986 and 1991 using original materials or in-kind replacements.[2]

It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.[1]

References
  1. "National Register Information System – Abraham Hall (#05000146)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  2. "Abraham Hall". Maryland Historical Trust. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  3. Susan Pearl (February 1983). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Abraham Hall" (PDF). Maryland Historical Trust. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  4. M-NCPPC African-American Heritage Survey, October 1996: Properties Within or Closely Associated With Historic Communities (Prince George's County, Maryland), 1996 Archived 2009-12-04 at the Wayback Machine.
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