Asbury United Methodist Church (Washington, D.C.)

Asbury United Methodist Church, founded in 1836 as Asbury Chapel, is the oldest black United Methodist church in Washington, D.C.

Asbury United Methodist Church
Asbury United Methodist Church (Washington, D.C.) is located in Central Washington, D.C.
Asbury United Methodist Church (Washington, D.C.)
Asbury United Methodist Church (Washington, D.C.) is located in the District of Columbia
Asbury United Methodist Church (Washington, D.C.)
Asbury United Methodist Church (Washington, D.C.) is located in the United States
Asbury United Methodist Church (Washington, D.C.)
LocationEleventh and K Sts. NW Washington, D.C.
Coordinates38°54′8″N 77°1′39″W
Area0.3 acres (0.12 ha)
ArchitectHarding, Clarence Lowell
Architectural styleLate Gothic Revival, English Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.86003029[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 01, 1986
Designated DCIHSMarch 21, 1984

Located on the corner of 11th and K Streets Northwest, it was placed on the District of Columbia Register of Historic Places on November 1, 1986.[2] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. In 2003, the National Park Service approved the listing of Asbury on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.[3]

History

Founded in 1836, the church was a pioneer of African-American Methodism in Washington, D.C., and of social history through abolition, Emancipation, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights movement. It is the city's oldest African-American church to remain on its original site.[2] A new building on the same site was completed in 1870.[4] The current building was designed by Clarence Lowell Handing and built in 1915–1916 in the English Gothic Revival architectural style.[5]

In the 1920s, the building had alterations by African American architect, William Wilson Cooke.[6][7]

In December 2020, the congregation's Black Lives Matter banner was burned during an event for President Donald Trump, an action the congregation's senior pastor described as "reminiscent of cross burnings".[8] In January 2021, Enrique Tarrio, chairman of the Proud Boys, was arrested in relation to the incident.[9]

On July 15, 2021, the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced Asbury United Church as one of 40 sites and organizations to receive $3 million in grants from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.[10] The grant is to be used for repairs to the church’s wood windows and bell tower masonry, as well as repointing and cleaning of its stone facade.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. "District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites". September 30, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  3. "Explore Network to Freedom Listings". National Park Service Underground Railroad. March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
  4. "archives.nypl.org – Asbury United Methodist Church (Washington, D.C.) records". archives.nypl.org. Retrieved Dec 13, 2020.
  5. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/86003029_text
  6. "The son of a former slave became a groundbreaking architect. This crumbling building is about to come down". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
  7. Wilson, Derek Spurlock, ed. (2004). "William Wilson Cooke, Building List". African American Architects, 1865–1945. New York: Routledge. pp. 152–154. ISBN 978-1-1359-5629-5.
  8. "Black Lives Matter signs burned at historic D.C. churches; authorities investigating as possible hate crimes". NBC News. Retrieved 2021-01-03.
  9. Stelloh, Tim (January 4, 2021). "Proud Boys leader arrested, accused of destroying D.C. church's Black Lives Matter sign". NBC News.
  10. Holland-Moore, Lawana (July 15, 2021). "National Trust Awards $3 Million in Grants to 40 Sites to Help Preserve Black History". National Trust for Historic Preservation. Retrieved March 31, 2022.


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