Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic church located on New Jersey Route 49 (Bridgeton-Milltown Pike) in the Gouldtown section of Fairfield Township in Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. The current church was built in 1860, on the eve of the American Civil War. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 29, 1995, for its significance in religion and African-American history.[3]
Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church | |
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| Location | New Jersey Route 49, Gouldtown, New Jersey |
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| Coordinates | 39°25′12″N 75°11′3″W / 39.42000°N 75.18417°W |
| Built | 1860 |
| Architectural style | Mid 19th Century Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 95001138[1] |
| NJRHP No. | 2807[2] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 29, 1995 |
| Designated NJRHP | July 17, 1995 |
History and description
editGouldtown is now just a crossroads with a few buildings, but it is one of the oldest settlements in America founded by free, land-owning African-Americans. The Rev. Ruben Cuff of Salem County organized a society of African Americans in 1818. In 1823 they bought an unused schoolhouse to use as a church, and in 1834 they bought a second schoolhouse and moved it to the site.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "National Register Information System – (#95001138)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Cumberland County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. December 20, 2022. p. 3.
- ^ Stokes Sr., Alvin M.; Wright, Carrie (May 1995). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Trinity African Methodist Episcopal Church". National Park Service. With accompanying 14 photos
- ^ Chiat, Marilyn Joyce Segal (1997). America's religious architecture: sacred places for every community, Preservation Press Series. John Wiley and Sons. p. 465. ISBN 0471145025. p.84