St. James A.M.E. Church
Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
At 236 E. 11th Street. Founded 1874, this is Erie's oldest African-American congregation. Five of its first six members were women. Originally at 3rd & German Streets, this church has long ministered to the spiritual and social needs of the Erie community.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Founded in 1874, St. James became Erie's oldest African American congregation, and notably five of its first six members were women. Beginning at 3rd and German Streets before moving to East 11th, the church grew into a center of both worship and community life. For generations it answered the spiritual and social needs of Erie's Black families.
Why it matters
The church shows how African American women helped build the institutions that sustained community, faith, and mutual support in the decades after emancipation.
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Themes & tags
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