By Lyndia Grant for The Washington Informer
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, established in 1816 in the territory of Old Georgetown in the District of Columbia, celebrates its 208-year legacy this month.
On Oct. 13, at Mt. Zion UMC, located at 1334 29th Street NW, a worship service commemorates the vision, tenacity and courage of the freed and enslaved people who founded what has become the oldest African American congregation in Washington, D.C. The actions and accomplishments of these ancestors predate the Civil War. This year’s theme is “Unity in the Community.”
The guest speaker will be Rev. Jaleesa Hall, ordained deacon at the Emory Fellowship United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. Following the service, there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated space, made possible through a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Fund for Sacred Places, along with matching funds from the Mt. Zion Historic Preservation Capital Campaign efforts. The day will culminate with a lunch in the church’s fellowship hall.
Early in its history, Mount Zion members originally formed part of the congregation of the Montgomery Street Methodist Church (now the Dumbarton Avenue Methodist Church). The Black members of this congregation elected to form their own church and on June 3, 1814, purchased property on Mill Street (now 27th Street) from Henry Foxall, a Methodist church leader. The group, known as the Colored Members of the Georgetown Station, erected a church that was variously called “The Ark” and the “Meeting House” until 1844 when it was renamed Mt. Zion. The congregation did not have a Black minister, however, until the Reverend John Brice was appointed in 1864.
The present structure, which was constructed between 1876 and 1884 with the help of members of the congregation, is a brick church with Gothic decorative elements. It has a gable-roof, stained glass lancet windows, and a second-floor sanctuary. The visual interest provided by the articulation of the Gothic Revival facade of the church and the scale of the structure make it a contributing element in the Georgetown Historic District.
Mount Zion probably was a station in the Underground Railroad, and the church records give some credence to this idea. The congregation also sponsored one of the city’s first Black schools in 1823.
First published on Oct. 9, 2024
