Old Fort UAME Church

In 1813 a group of African-American Methodists led by Peter Spencer formed an independent denomination that came to be known as the African Union Church. It was the first incorporated religious body in the United States controlled entirely by African Americans. Early meetings of the Christiana Bridge congregation were likely held at private residences until 1850, when a brick structure was built for worship. In 1854 the group was formally incorporated as the African Union Church of Christiana Bridge. Shortly thereafter, a denominational leadership dispute resulted in the separation of some member churches. The Christiana Bridge congregation followed leaders into a new denomination, and in 1868 they were formally incorporated as the Union American Church of Christiana. In the late 19th century the existing house of worship was moved from its original location. The congregation disassembled the structure and rebuilt it on property purchased from Louis Taylor. In 1898, the church was re-incorporated as the Union American Methodist Episcopal Church of Christiana. When the mortgage was burned, “Old Fort” was added to the church name to commemorate the faithfulness of the congregation. In 1983 Old Fort UAME was added to the National Register of Historic Places as part of the White Clay Creek Hundred Multiple Resource Area.