ABOUT US
Church History
In 1787, the year of the United States Constitution, Richard Allen founded the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the first overt act against segregation in American society. Quinn Chapel AME located at 106 East Third Street in Frederick, Maryland was established shortly thereafter. It is one of the oldest sanctuaries in the AME church and houses a congregation that has been in continuous existence since the 1790s.
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Church records shows that the history of the church dates back to 1800. However, a more extensive review of the public County documents suggest that the history began in the 1790s, when a bold move for equality led to the formation of the Bethel Congregation in Frederick, MD. The church was renamed Quinn Chapel AME in 1835 in honor of William Paul Quinn, the fourth Bishop of the AME Church, and a previous Pastor of the Frederick County Circuit.
The church has been a significant and important dwelling place and habitat for the African American citizens of Frederick, as well as, for the City of Frederick itself. It was a part of the Underground Railroad and served as a 'Safe House' in Frederick County. This helped support the migration of slaves to the North and Canada during a time of despair for those who were courageous enough to escape to freedom. The basement of the church was used as a hospital during the Civil War treating soldiers wounded in the Battle of Monocacy on the south side of Frederick. This Battle was extremely significant because it is credited with delaying a Confederate advance into Washington DC, thus allowing Union reinforcements time to turn back the Confederate forces before they could capture the Capital of the United States. The church also served as the first school for 'colored' people of Frederick soon after the Civil War.
In 1995, Quinn Chapel acquired another historical building at 132 East Fourth Street, the Quinn Chapel Christian Life Center, which has been used for various events throughout the years. Some examples include health fairs, senior citizen luncheons and award ceremonies, Toys for Tots toy distribution in conjunction with the United States Marine Corps, funeral repasts, birthday celebrations, scholarship banquets, various fellowship dinners, a meeting place for community organizations, in person bible studies and Sunday School classes.
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Approved as one of the Historic Churches of Frederick in the National Registry of 1973 and again in 1988, Quinn Chapel works closely with the Frederick Historic Society to maintain the standards required by the Society. This includes any modifications of the original structure which dates back to 1855.