About Bethel Ame Church
Bethel Ame Church is a African Methodist Episcopal church located at 1103 LAIRD AVENUE, Parkersburg, WV, 26101. Bethel Ame Church was founded in 1887. You can reach Bethel Ame Church at +13044859441.
Bethel AME Church (Parkersburg, West Virginia)
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church was a historic African Methodist Episcopal church located at 820 Clay Street in Parkersburg, Wood County, West Virginia. It was built in 1887 and was a two-story, stucco building in a vernacular interpretation of the Gothic Revival style. It was one of three black churches in Parkersburg and was the oldest black church building in west-central West Virginia. The church was located in a neighborhood of late 19th-century wood-frame houses only a block from downtown.
Bethel Ame Church through the years
- 1887 Founded
- 1998-10-08 Added to the National Register
Where is Bethel Ame Church located?
Bethel Ame Church is located at 1103 LAIRD AVENUE, Parkersburg, WV, 26101. The building sits at coordinates 39.26601, -81.54396, placing it in Parkersburg, WV 26101.
Location is approximate — drawn from the public street address.
The neighborhood around Bethel Ame Church
The ZIP code 26101 area around Bethel Ame Church is home to 28,751 residents with a median household income of $43,134 and a median age of 40.7 years, according to the US Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2022 five-year estimates.
What to expect at a service at Bethel Ame Church
Methodists worship with a blend of structured liturgy and heartfelt singing — a Wesleyan inheritance.
- Service length is about an hour. Expect hymn singing, readings, prayers, a sermon, and often Holy Communion.
- Communion is an "open table" — anyone seeking Christ is welcome to receive.
- Dress is casual to business-casual.
Generalized notes for first-time visitors. Individual churches vary — when in doubt, ask a greeter at the door.
Bethel Ame Church on the National Register of Historic Places
Bethel Ame Church is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places under reference 82001767, added to the Register on 1998-10-08.
Read the official NPS nomination for Bethel Ame Church →
Churches sharing the architectural tradition of Bethel Ame Church
5 other US churches in the Gothic Revival tradition are indexed in Churches List.
- Cathedral of Christ the King Atlanta, GA · est. 1939
- St. Francis of Assisi New York, NY · est. 1892
- Saint John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church New York City, NY · est. 1840
- Most Blessed Sacrament Detroit, MI · est. 1915
- Blessed Sacrament Church Seattle, WA
Churches founded the same year as Bethel Ame Church
5 other churches with a documented founding year of 1887 are indexed in Churches List.
- St. John the Martyr New York, NY
- Berean Presbyterian Church Philadelphia, PA
- Immaculate Conception Blessed Virgin Bronx, NY
- Emmanuel Baptist Church Brooklyn, NY
- Goshen Seventh-Day Adventist Church Chicago, IL
Bethel Ame Church by the numbers
Questions and answers about Bethel Ame Church
- What denomination is Bethel Ame Church?
- This church is part of the African Methodist Episcopal tradition.
- Where is Bethel Ame Church located?
- Bethel Ame Church is located at 1103 LAIRD AVENUE, Parkersburg, WV, 26101.
- When was Bethel Ame Church founded?
- Founded in 1887.
- Is Bethel Ame Church on the National Register of Historic Places?
- Yes — NRHP reference 82001767, added 1998-10-08.
- What is the architecture of Bethel Ame Church?
- Bethel Ame Church is a Gothic Revival building.
Photographs of Bethel Ame Church
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Photographs via Wikimedia Commons. Click through for author and licence.
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