Friends of St. Paul AME Church in Bellefonte, Pa

Friends of St. Paul AME Church in Bellefonte, Pa Individuals passionate about the preservation and restoration of the Historic "Church on the Hill." It was known as Zion’s Wesleyan A.M.E. church. congregation.

According to RootsWeb, Saint Paul’s AME Church was established in 1859 through the merger of two other religious houses. The first house was originally founded in 1836 by Samuel Johnson of Chambersburg, Pa. The second one was created in 1844 by the Rev. Willis Nazery and was known as the A.M.E. In 1859 these two merged; they built a church on land donated by a Quaker named William Thomas. As a res

ult of this early anti-slavery movement in Centre County, Bellefonte became a home for former enslave people and Freedom Seekers. And a community grew up and around a Black church community that became known as the Saint Paul AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church. It is a church associated with the Underground Railroad during the Civil War and with the Mills Brothers and their family during the early part of the 20th Century. The church has been closed since the passing of the lead pastor, Rev. Dr. Donna King, in January 2021: (https://kochfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/2327/Rev-Dr-Donna-King/obituary.html)

The Friends of St. Paul AME Church page is organized to continue her mission of the preservation, restoration and celebration of its rich history. A "preservation committee" has been created through the nonprofit Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association. If you are interested in working toward the preservation and restoration of the church, please FOLLOW/LIKE this page as well as the BHCA. Volunteers of this project are needed. Email: [email protected] Subject line: Friends of St. Paul AME Church. All are welcome. Please JOIN US.

03/18/2026

The Civil War Weekend in Bellefonte is coming up in May!

On May 1st at 1:00 at the American Philatelic Society (located at the Match Factory), Philip Ruth will be speaking about: Seeking Sanctuary: How Centre County Figured in Fallout from the Harpers Ferry Raid.

This is a free event! We hope to see you there!

To check out more about the weekend, click on the following link:
https://bellefontecivilwarweekend.org/

02/13/2026
Looking for Black History in Centre County? Here's a great resource:
02/13/2026

Looking for Black History in Centre County? Here's a great resource:

August 17, 2023September 18, 2025 Project Blog BLOG ARCHIVE Tale of Two Generations in Philipsburg: A STATISTICAL GLIMPSE INTO A VANISHED COMMUNITY Daniel Woodruff September 16, 2025 Note from Co-Director Julia Spicher Kasdorf:When people learn of this collaborative effort to uncover the hi...

02/09/2026
10/28/2025
08/26/2025
The Black History in Centre County project just posted on its blog a copy of Philip Ruth's comments at the John Lewis Ca...
08/08/2025

The Black History in Centre County project just posted on its blog a copy of Philip Ruth's comments at the John Lewis Candlelight Vigil held in Bellefonte on July 17, 2025. The post's title and subject is Civil Rights Activism in Nineteenth-Century Bellefonte.

August 17, 2023June 11, 2025 Project Blog BLOG ARCHIVE   The KKK’s Rapid Rise and Faster Fall in 1920s Bellefonte and Vicinity   Philip Ruth, Research Coordinator June 1, 2025   Note: This article was prepared for the June 2025 issue of The Bell newsletter of the Bellefonte Historical and Cultu...

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121 St Paul Street
Bellefonte, PA
16823

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