St. Paul's African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church
Moulton, Lavaca County, Texas
Marker Inscription
ST. PAUL’S AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL (AME) CHURCH Following the civil war and emancipation, the small but vibrant black population around Moulton began to be served by missionaries of a newly formed offshoot of the Methodist Church called the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. In 1867, Reverend E. Hammitt became the first Black AME minister in the county, riding a large circuit that included Moulton. In 1887, the modern-day city of Moulton was laid out and founded by Samuel and William Moore. At that time, the brothers donated a plot of land to the city’s black population in the southeastern part of Moulton. On this land, the faithful erected a small one-room church. Often referred to as Moore’s chapel by many locals, the little church nourished the religious needs of the black community. Following the end of World War I, the church became the African American school for the community. More space was needed so, in 1921, the church trustees purchased land and erected a new building for the church and school. Although the space offered few amenities, the congregation flourished here for decades. In 1948, the Moulton Independent School District built a new school for the district’s black children. Due to disrepair, hurricane and flood damage, a new church was built in 1962 under the leadership of Rev. W.O. Johnson and Joseph Parker. After several more decades of faithful religious and community service, the migration to urban areas caused the membership of the church to decline. St. Paul’s AME Church reluctantly closed its doors in 2007. Although the church is no longer in operation, its 120 years of service as a spiritual beacon will remain in the hearts of the community.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
After emancipation, AME missionaries began serving the Black community around Moulton, and in 1867 Reverend E. Hammitt became the county's first Black AME minister on a wide circuit. When Moulton was founded in 1887, its founders donated land where the congregation built a modest one-room church, long known locally as Moore's Chapel. The building doubled as the community's African American school after World War I, sustaining faith and education together until the congregation finally closed its doors in 2007.
Why it matters
It embodies how the AME Church—born as an independent Black denomination—became a spiritual, educational, and civic anchor for freedpeople and their descendants across the rural South.
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Related people
- · E. Hammitt
- · W.O. Johnson
Themes & tags
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