Nave and pulpit of the African Meeting House, part of the Museum of African American History in Boston

BLACK HERITAGE TRAIL

STOP 10

Opening in 1806, the African Meeting House is the original church of Beacon Hill’s black residents, and it is the oldest building still standing in the United States that originated as church for a predominately black congregation (a few white people did attend service). It is now part of the Museum of African American History, a private organization that also owns the Abiel Smith School where the actual museum is located. Both are part of the Black Heritage Trail and are the only two buildings on the trail actually open to the public.

The Abiel Smith School and African Meeting House are open year-round on Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 AM to 4 PM (closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day). A fee-based, timed ticket is required to enter the facilities, and entrance times are typically 10 AM, 12 PM, and 2 PM. The ticket price covers entrance to the museum and a guided tour of the African Meeting House. National Park Passes are not accepted since the museum is not owned by the National Park Service. For the latest schedule, ticket prices, and to purchase a ticket online in advance, visit the Museum of African American History’s Boston Campus web page. You can also purchase tickets on the day of your arrival at the ticket office inside the Abiel Smith School, subject to availability.

Upper floor of the African Meeting House was used for church services, Museum of African American History in Boston

The lower level of the African Meeting House is an actual meeting area, and even today this floor can be rented for events. It served as the meeting place for the black community in Boston and was known as the “Black Faneuil Hall.”

Meeting room on the lower level of the African Meeting House, part of the Museum of African American History in Boston

The upper level is where church services were held, and this is also available to rent for weddings and other events. An elevator was added during a major renovation of the building between 2003 and 2011, so the upper level is accessible to those with mobility problems. The renovation was designed to return the building to its 1855 appearance (other than the elevator). Most of the pews are replacements, but there are two that are original to the building.

Rear of the upper floor church inside the African Meeting House, part of the Museum of African American History in Boston

The African Meeting House, or the Belknap Street Church as it was originally called, evolved into the political center for the black community in Boston. The building even hosted a school from 1808 until the Abiel Smith School opened in 1835. During the Civil War it served as a recruitment office for the 54^th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, the first black unit of the Union Army. (Largely lost to history is the fact that black men served in the Navy since its founding in 1775.)

By the late 1800s, black residents were moving out of the Beacon Hill area and European immigrants were moving in. The building was sold to the Jewish Congregation Anshi Libavitz in 1904 and remained a synagogue until being purchased in 1972 by the founders of the Museum of African American History. The Boston African American National Historic Site didn’t exist until 1980, so the museum actually pre-dates the park by eight years.

For information on holding your event at the African Meeting House, see the Museum of African American History’s Facility Rentals web page. The Abiel Smith School also has meeting facilities for rent.

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