African Methodist Episcopal Church, Columbus

The African Methodist Episcopal Church is a historically significant religious denomination, founded in 1816 by Richard Allen and a group of African American congregations seeking autonomy from the discrimination they faced within the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Church was among the first Protestant denominations established in the U.S. by African Americans, created not from doctrinal disputes but in direct response to racial exclusion in existing congregations.

Beginning with just five churches and eight clergy, the Church expanded rapidly in the 19th century, particularly after the Civil War. It became the largest African-American Methodist denomination by the early 20th century, reaching hundreds of thousands of members. The denomination supported educational efforts, most notably co-founding Wilberforce University in Ohio, one of the earliest historically Black colleges in the United States. Internationally, it also developed congregations in places like Bermuda, where its mission extended into communities historically marginalized under colonial rule.

The Church is a masonry structure with a brick foundation and stucco-covered brick walls. It features an asphalt gable roof and regularly spaced rectangular windows that provide natural light to the interior. The building has minimal decorative detailing and reflects a straightforward, functional design.