Designed in the Romanesque Revival style, the church was originally built in 1886 for the Oakland Methodist Episcopal Church before the Blackwell-Israel congregation purchased it in 1927. The building is the only known church in Chicago designed by the nationally renowned firm of Edbrooke and Burnham and was designated as an official Chicago landmark in May 2020.

As Chicago’s African American population grew during the Great Migration, the Bronzeville neighborhood became the center of Black business and culture. For over nine decades, the church has hosted local and national organizations, such as the NAACP, a Black musicians society, a theatre group, and a beauty school. Today, the church continues to serve the community through events like health fairs and weekly meals.

Blackwell-Israel Samuel AME Zion Church experienced a sewer line break that caused the toilets to overflow with water and debris during storms. This caused damage to the plumbing equipment and floors and prevented the church from holding services and activities in the building until repairs were made. 

An Intervention Fund grant of $8,500 in 2020 helped the church to remove and replace the broken sewer pipes in order to meet city regulations and reopen safely to the public.