Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church (also known as Big Wesley) is an historic church, which is located at 1500 Lombard Street in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1978, it also appears in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places and the Pennsylvania State Historic Resource survey.

History and architectural features

The congregation was founded on June 6, 1820. Worship began in a Carpenter's Shed at 521-527 Lombard Street while a brick church building was under construction. In 1885, the congregation purchased an existing building and moved to its current location at 1500 Lombard Street. The church later commissioned a larger structure to accommodate a growing congregation. Designed by architect George Savage, the church was built in 1926 in the Gothic Revival style with a corner bell tower, spire, and pointed arch windows with tracery. The main level is accessed through triple-portal doors which open to a foyer flanked on both sides by grand staircases. The church sanctuary is located on the second floor and contains a large U-shaped balcony and is brightly lit by stained glass windows on all sides. "Big Wesley" has been a historical leader in the development of the

African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

denomination and influential in

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

and social reforms in the 1950s and 1960s. The church continues to hold weekly worship service, bible study, and outreach ministry activities. The current pastor is Rev. Michael A. King. Former pastors include the Right Reverend Louis Hunter, Sr., 93rd Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. The church was added to the

in 1978. It also appears in the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places and the Pennsylvania State Historic Resource survey.

Gallery

File:Wesley AME Church.JPG, Wesley AME Church

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wesley Ame Zion Church 20th-century Methodist church buildings in the United States Churches in Philadelphia Gothic Revival church buildings in Pennsylvania Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Churches completed in 1926 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia