Union AME Church
Welsh St. above Second
Union A.M.E. Church in Chester, Pennsylvania, was founded by Robert Morris, a former enslaved man who sought freedom and religious expression after being freed in 1820. Initially, only four people attended meetings held in a private home, but the congregation grew, and in 1831 a lot was purchased on Welsh Street for a frame church. Under Rev. Samuel Smith, financial challenges arose, prompting Morris to return and assist the church. Rev. Benjamin Jefferson, a long-serving pastor, cleared the church’s debt and led its rebuilding into a stone structure. Subsequent leaders, including Rev. Lorenzo D. Blackston and Rev. Francis H. Norton, oversaw the church’s continued development. A mission church in Media was also established and flourished. Today, Union A.M.E. Church stands as a testament to resilience, faith, and community growth, with a history of dedicated leadership and expanding membership.
Union AME Church image from oldchesterpa.com
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