Joshua Chapel A.M.E. Church
Waxahachie, Ellis County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Organized in 1876, this congregation was named for its first pastor, the Rev. Joshua Goins, who started many African Methodist Episcopal churches across the state. Worshipers met in an old schoolhouse until this sanctuary was constructed in 1917. Designed by noted black architect W. S. Pittman, the building exhibits influences of the Romanesque Revival style and has become a landmark in Waxahachie's black community. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1984
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in 1876, this congregation took the name of its first pastor, the Rev. Joshua Goins, who planted African Methodist Episcopal churches across Texas. Worshipers met in an old schoolhouse until they raised this sanctuary in 1917, designed by the noted Black architect W. S. Pittman in the Romanesque Revival style. It has stood ever since as a landmark of Waxahachie's Black community.
Why it matters
Joshua Chapel embodies the founding of independent Black churches after emancipation—institutions that anchored community life and, in a building by a pioneering Black architect, self-reliance.
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Related people
- · Rev. Joshua Goins
- · W. S. Pittman
Themes & tags
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