The history of St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church in Newtown dates back to the early 1800s and played an important role in the life of the African American community in Newtown. Today’s church and its devoted congregation continue to serve as a vital source of fellowship, spirituality and community outreach.
The present-day structure of St. Mark was dedicated on April 30, 1898, according to an article in the Newtown Enterprise. The church joined Heritage Conservancy’s Register of Historic Places on November 3, 1982. (At the time, Heritage Conservancy was known as the Bucks County Conservancy)
A Brief History of St. Mark A.M.E. Zion Church
St. Mark was originally known as John Wesley African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded in Newtown in about 1820. Members built a small frame meeting house that included an adjacent cemetery high on a hill just outside the village of Newtown. Around 1840, the building burned in a fire that could be seen for miles around, resulting in the nickname “Lighthouse Hill,” where the church cemetery remains today.
A second church, built at the intersection of Frost Lane and State Street, was also destroyed by fire in 1857. A new frame meetinghouse was built in 1858 on Congress Street. Records show a burgeoning community of African Americans on North Congress Street in the mid-19th century. In the late 1800s, this site was the worshipping place of both the Methodist and the Baptist faiths, according to the Newtown Historic Association. The Baptist congregation eventually built its own church in about 1914, the Macedonia Baptist Church, located at 218 North State Street.
The present-day St. Mark A.M.E. Zion Church, located at 136 North Congress Street, replaced the old wooden frame structure on the site. The cornerstone for the church building in use today dates to 1897.
The 1.5-story Gothic revival-style brick building includes three bays and a slate gable roof with an open pyramid belfry (a new roof was installed in 2006). The side walls feature three tall pointed arch windows and four brick buttresses. A circular rosette window above the entrance porch is subdivided into eight radiating leaves.
Across the state of Pennsylvania there are many architectural examples of the Gothic Revival style that was popular in the 19th century, especially for churches. Features include the pointed arch used for windows and doors, steep roofs and decorative details.
The congregation broke ground on a parsonage in 1921. Work was completed the following year. The simple rectangular structure (“Victorian vernacular”) includes two stories to serve as a residence for St. Mark’s pastor.
A Vibrant and Growing History
In the late 18th century, two distinct groups of black Methodists formed their own churches, one in Philadelphia and one in New York City. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church had its origin in New York.
Since its early days, the A.M.E. Zion Church has been recognized for its spirit of reform and activism. The church was significant in the antislavery movement of the 19th century. Several key African American abolitionists joined the A.M.E. Zion Church, including Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth.
The Lighthouse Hill Cemetery at the corner of Frost Lane and Congress Street sits on the site of the John Wesley African Methodist Episcopal Church built shortly after its founding in 1820. The oldest documented burial in this cemetery dates to 1854, according to the Newtown Historic Association. Lighthouse Hill Cemetery was established as Newtown’s free cemetery for the burial of residents regardless of race. Twelve African American Civil War veterans are buried there.
Today’s A.M.E. Zion Church, founded to give equal right to African Americans in the Methodist faith, includes members of all racial backgrounds. While emphasizing ministry and social change in the United States, the church has also focused on outreach abroad. The A.M.E. Zion Church has member churches in six of seven continents.
For St. Mark, the call continues for all to “live a life of abundance in fellowship, joy and liberty.” Throughout its history, St. Mark has continued to rebuild and strengthen its commitment to “do what God called us to do,” says Sister Tracy Teagle, one of the church’s ministers. She joined the congregation about 20 years ago after moving to Bucks County.
“Our history shows the resiliency of those who came before us and those who are here now,” she adds.
Dennise Veasley joined St. Mark in 1997 and is one of several members who research and preserve its history. “Every church should have a historian,” she says, “and keep history in the church.”
Like other churches since the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Mark has seen attendance evolve. It is bouncing back, though the congregation has fewer members than in the past. “We may be small in number, but when you come here you feel the warmth and the love,” says Tracy. And when the community reaches out, “we all come together to assist.”
Rev. Angela Maxwell Brown, the current pastor of St. Mark A.M.E. Zion Church, says “The St. Mark A.M.E. Zion Church community continues as committed followers of Christ: Worshiping God, witnessing to all and welcoming others to the family of believers.”
St. Mark continues to help those in need and impact its community in a variety of ways. They participate in the Shared Meals program with Advocates for the Homeless & Those In Need by providing meals each month. Members also provide clothing, coats and other essentials. The congregation adopted a school in Morrisville to provide supplies and snacks, and also adopts families for Christmas to provide gifts for the entire family. St. Mark serves as a VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) site for the IRS to provide free tax filing services. Movie nights, community breakfasts, children’s days and other events help keep the community engaged and help St. Mark fulfill its purpose, notes Dennise.