Abyssinian Meeting House, Historic meeting house in Munjoy Hill, Portland, United States.
The Abyssinian Meeting House is a three-story wooden Federal-style building on Newbury Street in Portland, Maine. It has large windows and an original entrance that has kept its early form over time.
The building was founded in 1828 by free African Americans as a place for worship and education. It stayed in active use until 1917 and has since been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Abyssinian Meeting House served Portland's Black community as a place for worship, schooling, and shared gatherings at a time when few other spaces were open to them. Today the building stands on Newbury Street as a visible reminder of that community's presence in Maine.
The exterior is easy to view from the street, and a walk along Newbury Street gives a good sense of the building. It is worth checking ahead for tour availability, as interior access may vary.
The Abyssinian Meeting House is one of only three surviving African American meeting houses of its era still standing in the country. It also served as Maine's first known Underground Railroad station, a role that few visitors are aware of when they pass by.
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