Historic St. Paul A.M.E. Church
Organized 1820 • Historic 1826 Sanctuary • Lexington, Kentucky
Historic St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church traces its origins to 1820, when free and enslaved Black Methodists separated from the Lexington Society of Methodists and formed their own congregation. That same year, they rented a brick stable on the property now known as 251 N. Upper Street. Research reviewed to date does not support the older oral account that Historic St. Paul was founded as a mission of Hill Street Methodist Church.
```In 1826, the congregation constructed a permanent brick sanctuary on the same site. In May 1827, the trustees purchased the property for $280. Today, Historic St. Paul is among Kentucky's oldest continuously active African American congregations.
```Our Early Story: 1820–1877
```In 1820, free and enslaved Black Methodists formed an independent congregation after separating from the Lexington Society of Methodists. Research reviewed to date does not support the older oral account describing the church as a mission of Hill Street Methodist Church.
The newly organized congregation rented a brick stable on the property now known as 251 N. Upper Street. The property was owned by Charles Wilkins, from whom the congregation rented and later purchased its site. No evidence identifies Wilkins as the congregation's founder or protector. An 1827 notice concerning his estate also advertised the sale of ten enslaved people, placing his relationship with the congregation within the broader history of slavery in early nineteenth-century Kentucky.
In 1826, the congregation constructed a permanent brick sanctuary. In May 1827, it purchased the original 33-by-95-foot lot for $280. The deed named trustees Daniel Francis, John Skinker, Benjamin Tibbs, William Dolan, and Peter Lewis.
The 1838–1839 Lexington city directory described the city's Black churches, including St. Paul, as “handsome brick buildings, in which comfort and elegance alike predominate.” In 1850, the congregation purchased an adjoining 7-by-95-foot lot for $1. Trustees associated with that acquisition included Charles Buckner, James Turner, Robert Dolan, Liberty Ross, and Moses Spencer.
On July 8, 1862, the church acquired an adjacent parcel that included part of Lexington's city stray pen for $400. In 1863, it resold 80 feet of that property for $242. Church oral tradition associates the animals once confined near the site with efforts to disguise the scent of freedom seekers. The purchase is documented; the scent story remains church oral tradition.
The exact construction dates of the concealed upper room, the stairway behind the pulpit, and the interior pathways above the sanctuary remain under study. The features themselves survive and are central to the congregation's oral history of sheltering freedom seekers.
Historic St. Paul operated as an independent Methodist congregation until September 1865, when, under the leadership of Rev. David Smith, it formally affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. George H. Shaffer served as the congregation's first pastor following that affiliation.
An Underground Railroad Legacy
```The National Park Service has officially listed Historic St. Paul A.M.E. Church in the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The listing recognizes the church's documented association with Lewis Garrard Clarke and its broader freedom history.
Historical accounts describe the public tribute to Clarke as the first of its kind accorded to an African American in Kentucky.
Lewis Hayden and his family escaped enslavement in Lexington in 1844 with assistance from Delia Webster and Calvin Fairbank. Henry Britton, a St. Paul trustee and member, is documented later as a barber at the Phoenix Hotel, where Hayden had been hired while enslaved. Their association with the same workplace is historically significant; however, no surviving record presently proves that they worked there together, knew one another, or collaborated in Hayden's 1844 escape.
Education, Civil Rights, and Community Leadership
```Historic St. Paul became an important gathering place for Black education, civil rights advocacy, mutual aid, and community organization in Lexington and across Kentucky.
- In March 1866, the First Convention of Colored Men of Kentucky met in Lexington at the A.M.E. Church and adopted the constitution of the Kentucky State Benevolent Association.
- In November 1867, the State Convention of Colored Men met at St. Paul and petitioned for political rights, equal protection, education, and full citizenship.
- On November 26, 1885, the Colored State Convention assembled in St. Paul's A.M.E. Church. Its educational advocacy helped build momentum for a state-supported normal school for Black teachers. Kentucky authorized the State Normal School for Colored Persons in 1886; the institution is now Kentucky State University.
- Lewis Garrard Clarke returned to St. Paul as a speaker in 1892, further connecting the church to Kentucky's antislavery and civil rights history.
- Church members also supported educational and charitable institutions in Lexington, including efforts associated with the Colored Orphan Industrial Home.
These documented events demonstrate that St. Paul was not only a place of worship, but also a meeting place where Black Kentuckians organized for education, political participation, community care, and equal treatment under law.
```Pastoral Leadership Across the Generations
```Historic St. Paul's pastoral history spans its independent Methodist period and its formal affiliation with the A.M.E. Church beginning in September 1865. Clergy identified during the independent Methodist period are retained where their pastoral service has been verified, although exact service dates for some remain under research.
Rev. George H. Shaffer served as the congregation's first pastor following its affiliation with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
The current pastor is Rev. Dr. Walter R. Henry.
View the Pastoral Leadership List ```Why This Historic Place Matters
```The congregation was organized in 1820, while the surviving historic sanctuary dates to 1826. Keeping both dates visible accurately distinguishes the founding of the congregation from construction of the building.
- Historic St. Paul is an official National Park Service Network to Freedom site.
- St. Paul's A.M.E. Church and parsonage are identified as contributing historic resources within Lexington's Northside Historic Residential District, which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 28, 1979.
- The sanctuary preserves nationally recognized stories of Black faith, freedom, education, civic leadership, and community self-determination.
- The church remains an active house of worship rather than a museum alone; preservation protects both historic fabric and continuing ministry.
Preservation requires more than honoring the past—it requires investing in its future. Every contribution helps Historic St. Paul address critical repairs, protect historic features, maintain a safe and welcoming place of worship, and preserve an important part of Lexington's history.
```Recent Preservation Work and Current Priorities
```Recent preservation work has focused on stabilizing the 1826 sanctuary and protecting it from continued deterioration.
Preservation partners have included the National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund through the Preserving Black Churches program, the Linda and Jerry Bruckheimer Preservation Fund for Kentucky, and other state and local preservation partners.
The preservation team has included Barr Construction, Jordan Yeiser Engineering, and Gibson Taylor Thompson Architecture. A comprehensive three-dimensional laser scan and digital model prepared by Ayoroa Simmons support future restoration, interpretation, and accessibility planning.
Current rehabilitation priorities include the historic stairway enclosure and protective covering, sanctuary heating and cooling replacement, and repair of sanctuary plaster walls and ceilings. Additional preservation planning includes stained-glass and window conservation and exterior brick tuckpointing and masonry repairs.
```Looking Forward: Preservation as Ministry
```Historic preservation is not separate from the church's ministry. It sustains a living place of worship, protects the physical evidence of Black history, supports education and heritage tourism, and creates safe space for community service.
- Honor the faith and sacrifice of those who organized the congregation in 1820 and built the sanctuary in 1826.
- Maintain a safe, welcoming setting for worship, education, outreach, and community gatherings.
- Preserve stories of freedom seekers, educators, pastors, trustees, lay leaders, and families for future generations.
- Strengthen Historic St. Paul's continuing role in Lexington's Northside community.
How You Can Help Sustain the 1826 Sanctuary
```Monetary support is essential because historic buildings require specialized materials, skilled preservation contractors, ongoing maintenance, building-system upgrades, and rapid response when new problems are discovered.
- Make a one-time or recurring gift to the preservation appeal.
- Share Historic St. Paul's story with family, friends, schools, congregations, and preservation organizations.
- Attend worship, tours, educational programs, and public events.
- Encourage businesses and foundations to support preservation, accessibility, and interpretation.
Together, we can protect the 1826 sanctuary, sustain the congregation's present ministry, and preserve a nationally recognized story of faith and freedom.
```Research Standards, Sources, and Acknowledgments
```Prepared from the Historic St. Paul A.M.E. Church Research Archives. Research coordination: Priscilla Sullivan. This public history is updated as deeds, newspapers, directories, church records, architectural evidence, and official historic-designation records are reviewed.
The article follows four standards: documented facts are stated directly; oral traditions are labeled as oral traditions; reasonable interpretations are identified as interpretations; and claims that remain unconfirmed are omitted or qualified.
Current public-history revision: September 2026
Selected Public References
- National Park Service: Network to Freedom listings
- Kentucky Senate Resolution 101 (2026)
- Proceedings of the First Convention of Colored Men of Kentucky, 1866
- Proceedings of the State Convention of Colored Men, 1867
- Proceedings of the Colored State Convention at St. Paul's, 1885
- Kentucky State University History
- National Register: Northside Historic Residential District
