Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum

Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church
Mt. Zion AME Church
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum is located in Somerset County, New Jersey
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum is located in New Jersey
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum is located in the United States
Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum
Location189 Hollow Road,
Skillman, New Jersey
Coordinates40°25′02″N 74°43′16″W / 40.41722°N 74.72111°W / 40.41722; -74.72111 (Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church)
Built1899
Built byElmer Hight
NRHP reference No.100006611
NJRHP No.2556[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 7, 2021
Designated NJRHPOctober 18, 2018

The Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum (SSAAM) is a history museum located in the Skillman section of Montgomery Township, New Jersey, United States. The museum is located at the Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, an African Methodist Episcopal church constructed in 1899.[2][3] The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 7, 2021.[4]

History

Origins

SSAAM was founded by historians Elaine Buck and Beverly Mills, whose 2018 book If These Stones Could Talk chronicles the history of the African American presence in the Sourland Mountain region of central New Jersey.[5][6] The museum emerged from a partnership between the Stoutsburg Cemetery Association and the Sourland Conservancy.[5]

Development

As of December 2021, the museum is still under development as Mt. Zion AME Church undergoes historic restoration work.[7][8] When open, SSAAM plans to present historical exhibits and other public programming to educate visitors about African American history in New Jersey.[8] It was added to the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail in 2024.[9]

Mt. Zion AME Church

History

The Mt. Zion AME Church was originally established in 1866 by African American residents, the descendants of both free and enslaved people, of the Sourland Mountain area.[2] The church was originally located in Zion, New Jersey, but was moved to its current location in Skillman in 1899.[2] The church was home to an active congregation until 2005, when it stopped holding worship services.[10]

From the 19th century until the 1930s, the Mt. Zion AME Church organized "camp meetings" each summer to benefit the local community. These events included sermons, singing, and food.[10]

Archaeological investigation

In December 2020, SSAAM partnered with the Archaeological Society of New Jersey to conduct an archaeological dig at the site of the Mt. Zion AME Church.[11] The investigation uncovered approximately 250 artifacts dating to the late-19th century and 20th century, including window glass, nails and bricks, and ceramics.[12]

Restoration

SSAAM has been awarded multiple grants to conduct restoration and historic preservation work at the church, including Somerset County Historic Preservation Grants in 2016 and 2021; a 2018 grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust and 1772 Foundation; and a 2019 grant from the Somerset County Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Somerset County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. September 28, 2021. p. 12.
  2. ^ a b c "Our Site". SSAAM - 10/2021. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  3. ^ "African American Museum Newly Opened on Hollow Road in Skillman Is Among the First of Its Kind". The Montgomery News. p. 16. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
  4. ^ Harshbarger, Patrick; Frederickson, Erin (August 2017). National Register of Historic Places Registration: Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church (Draft) (PDF). National Park Service. With accompanying 14 photos from 2017.
  5. ^ a b "About". SSAAM - 10/2021. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  6. ^ Schuessler, Jennifer (2020-12-22). "Uncovering Lost Black History, Stone by Stone". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  7. ^ "Visit". SSAAM - 10/2021. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  8. ^ a b "Our Museum". SSAAM - 10/2021. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  9. ^ "New Jersey Black Heritage Trail – Fiscal Year 2024 Recommended Sites" (PDF). New Jersey Historical Commission.
  10. ^ a b Buck, Elaine; Mills, Beverly (2018). If These Stones Could Talk: African American Presence in the Hopewell Valley, Sourland Mountain, and Surrounding Regions in New Jersey. Lambertville, NJ: Wild River Books. pp. 118–122. ISBN 978-1-941948-08-8.
  11. ^ Knapp, Krystal (2020-12-08). "Volunteers needed for archaeological dig at Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum property in Skillman ⋆ Princeton, NJ local news %". Princeton, NJ local news. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  12. ^ "Archeological Dig". SSAAM - 10/2021. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  13. ^ "Grants & Awards". SSAAM - 10/2021. Retrieved 2021-12-21.