Page 286 - Swann Galleries - Printed & Manuscript African Americana- Sale 2308 - March 21, 2013

5 3 1 ● ( R E L I G I O N—
METHODIST EPISCOPAL
CHURCH.) Rules, Regula-
tions & By-Laws for the
better management of the
Sabbath School of the State
Street M.E. Church. Broad-
side, 13 1⁄
8 x 6 inches with a
decorative border; creases where
folded; small closed tear; some
general wear along the edges
with a small diagonal chip from
the top right corner, not affect-
ing the text, “W. Scott [?] Esq” in
pencil at the foot of the page;
and signed in type at the foot of
the page by the Church’s
Committee and Framers.
Mobile, March 17, 1865
[20,000/30,000]
OF THE UTMOST RARITY,
UNRECORDED BY CRANDALL
(CONFEDERATE IMPRINTS), OR
HARWELL (MORE CONFEDERATE
IMPRINTS). WE KNOW OF NO
OTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN
CONFEDERATE IMPRINT. This
broadside sets out, in eight articles
the rules of the Church’s Sabbath
School, making provision for a
“Chaplain.” The articles are what
one might expect in regard to the
organization of a school, its teacher,
secretary, treasurer, expenses, and
management, etc. Article II “It shall
be the duty of the Superintendant
top open the school by singing and
prayer; after which he shall read a
part or chapter from the Bible, fol-
lowed by a short exhortation.”
Articles VII and VIII regard funerals
and state “There shall be a
Chaplain attached to the school—it shall be his duty to attend the burial of deceased scholars, for
which he shall be compensated according to the time lost in the performance of said duty. .” (curiously
worded) and “There shall be a Carriage provided for the convenience of the Chaplain (at the expense
of the school) at each funeral.”
The State Street Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in 1829 as the African Church of the
City of Mobile, a mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The original building burned
and the current building was erected in 1854. By 1855 the church had a congregation of 550 mem-
bers, making it one of the most successful African American churches in Alabama. Following the Civil
War, the congregation joined the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. The Methodist Episcopal
Church South then challenged the right of the congregation to occupy the building. Under the leader-
ship of their second minister, Wilbur G. Strong, the congregation obtained legal title to the building in
1872. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 06, 1978, due to its
architectural and historic significance.