2024 COHORT
Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church
(African Methodist Episcopal)
Bluffton, South Carolina
Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church, located in Bluffton, South Carolina, has been a landmark in its community since its founding by nine formerly enslaved people in 1874.
Campbell Chapel AME Church Photo by Jon R. Black
Campbell Chapel AME Church Photo by Jon R. Black
2024 Cohort
Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church
(African Methodist Episcopal)
Bluffton, South Carolina
Campbell Chapel A.M.E. Church, located in Bluffton, South Carolina, has been a landmark in its community since its founding by nine formerly enslaved people in 1874.
Originally constructed by a white congregation in 1853, Campbell Chapel’s building was purchased at the end of the Reconstruction Era by nine formerly enslaved trustees. Though the building’s architect is unknown, members of the original nine trustees are credited as having worked on the church’s construction for its original white congregation, prior to their emancipation during the Civil War. After taking ownership of Campbell Chapel, the Black congregation installed a bell to communicate information to the surrounding community and added board and batten siding to the exterior walls of the church. These modifications were made to communicate the congregation’s independence and self-determination and differentiate themselves from the elite white congregation that had originally called the church home.
Bluffton Community Soup Kitchen was founded by a member of Campbell Chapel in 2011 and continues to use the church’s facilities to prepare hot meals for older adults, people with disabilities, and community members in need, serving 35,000 hot meals during 2022. In addition to providing after-school programs, a clothing closet, and youth programming, the Campbell Chapel serves as a gathering place for local community groups such as the Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate and the Historical Black Congregations Union. Campbell Chapel plans to develop a museum on its campus to share the history of the congregation, the Town of Bluffton, the Gullah Geechee Corridor, and the Lowcountry region of the United States.
A National Fund grant of $219,000 with $438,000 in matching funds raised by the congregation will support Campbell Chapel’s efforts to restore the church to its original nineteenth century appearance, including repairs to exterior walls, foundation, roofing, and windows.
Campbell Chapel AME Church Historic Marker Photo by Jon R. Black
Spotlighting Women’s History at Historic Houses of Worship
Religious institutions have served both as a platform for the advancement of women’s rights and opportunities, and women have played critical roles in advancing religious traditions. The leadership and community building opportunities within these sacred sites have been critical to increasing female independence outside of the home and allowing women to develop institutions that strengthen their congregations and broader communities. The four historic houses of worship highlighted embody positive examples of how the histories of women and religion are inherently linked.
First Church in Oberlin
Stories and Media Coverage
Read more about how the National Fund for Sacred Places is helping congregations around the country rehabilitate their sacred places.
Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church by Luis P. Gutierrez