Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church: 1907 and 1942 cornerstones

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Title	Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church: 1907 and 1942 cornerstones
Creator(s)	West, Carroll Van, photographer
Date	2005?
Coverage	2000-2009
Property name	Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
Property type	Church
Community Name	Birmingham, Jefferson County, AL
Latitude/Longitude	33.51669,-86.896003
Description	Color photograph of the 1907 and 1942 cornerstones of Bethel AME Church. The two plaques are mounted together. The top reads: "Bethel AME church. Organized 1888. Erected 1907. Destroyed 1934. Completion first unit Aug. A.D. 1942. Trustees: T. Cosby, R.W. Curley, W.E. Shortridge, W. H. Thomas, E. Moten, E. Polk, E. Thomas, L.H. Hunter, J. Harris. Rev. R.E. Jones, Pastor, Rev. G. R. Polk P.L.E., Rt. Rev. D.W. Nichols, Bishop." The lower plaque reads: "Bethel AME church. A.D. 1907. Building Committee: Warren Colman (obscured), Harvey Smith, J. Whitfield, D.E. Shortridge, Jas. Murphy, Caleb Shelton, Edd Ellis. Rev. J. B. Carter, Pastor"
Historical Notes	Bethel AME Church, whose congregation dates to 1888, was one of the leading churches involved in the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights during the Civil Rights era in Birmingham, particularly in the early years of the organization between 1956 and 1958. The ministers during the Civil Rights era were Rev. Floyd E. Legg and Rev. Edward Mixon. William E. Shortridge, a trustee of the church and local insurance agent and undertaker, was the treasurer of the ACMHR from 1956 to 1964. He assumed the administration of ACMHR when Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth left Birmingham and was the target of death threats and an attempted assassination. The church location dates to 1907, when the first church was built on the site. That church burned in 1934 and the congregation was able to rebuild in 1942, with significant modifications done in 1952 and 1996.
Collection Name	African American Churches
Subject-LCSH	African American churches
Subject-TGM	Cornerstones
Type	Still image
Format	jpeg2000
Genre	Photograph
Medium	Paper
Extent	6 x 4 in.
Copyright status	Copyright of the creator. Reproduced with permission
Conditions for use	Credit Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University Reproduction permitted for non-profit educational and research purposes only
Digital Publisher	Digital Initiatives, James E. Walker Library, Middle Tennessee State University
Contributing Institution	Center for Historic Preservation, Middle Tennessee State University
Source file	BethelAME003

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Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church: 1907 and 1942 cornerstones

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