Brown Chapel A. M. E. Church
Houston, Harris County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized in 1881, this church was founded to serve people living in the West End and Chaneyville communities, later known as the Sixth Ward. The Rev. Louis Brown served as first pastor of the church, which was named in his honor. A small sanctuary built in 1882 was destroyed by fire in 1917. Construction of the present building, originally a one-story frame structure, was begun that year. It was later enlarged to two stories, and in 1944 the exterior was clad in brick. Brown Chapel continues to be an important part of the Sixth Ward.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in 1881, Brown Chapel A.M.E. was founded to serve Black residents of Houston's West End and Chaneyville — the district that became the Sixth Ward — and took its name from its first pastor, the Rev. Louis Brown. Fire destroyed the original 1882 sanctuary in 1917, and the congregation immediately began the frame building that still stands, later enlarged to two stories and clad in brick in 1944. It remains a cornerstone of the historic Sixth Ward.
Why it matters
African Methodist Episcopal congregations were among the first independent institutions Black Americans built after emancipation, and Brown Chapel anchors one of Houston's oldest Black communities.
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Related people
- · Louis Brown
Themes & tags
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