Harriet A. Baker
Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
This African-American evangelist opened a mission about 1900 at 738 North Penn Street, where she preached until her death. In 1914 her mission became the first home of St. James A.M.E. Zion Church, which was built at this location in 1936.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Around 1900, the African-American evangelist Harriet A. Baker opened a mission on North Penn Street in Allentown and preached there until her death. Her small storefront ministry took root, and in 1914 it became the first home of St. James A.M.E. Zion Church, which built its permanent home on this spot in 1936. Baker was part of a wider tradition of Black women preachers who founded and sustained congregations at a time when the pulpit was rarely open to them.
Why it matters
Baker's mission shows how Black women's faith and leadership built enduring community institutions in the early twentieth century, often starting from nothing more than a rented room.
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Related people
- · Harriet A. Baker
Related events
- · Founding of St. James A.M.E. Zion Church
Themes & tags
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