Greater Bethel AME Church, African Methodist Episcopal church in Harlem, Manhattan, United States.
Greater Bethel AME Church occupies a limestone and brick building at 32 West 123rd Street in Harlem, within the Mount Morris Park Historic District. Edgar K. Bourne designed the structure, built in 1891–1892, and also sat on the library board that commissioned it. The congregation moved in after the Harlem Library relocated to 9-11 West 124th Street in 1901.
The Greater Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded in Lower Manhattan in 1819, making it one of New York City's oldest black churches. Its home at 32 West 123rd Street was built in 1891–1892 as the Harlem Library, designed by architect Edgar K. Bourne, a library trustee. After the library joined the New York Public Library system in 1901 and moved to West 124th Street, the congregation took over the building.
The name Bethel means "house of God" in Hebrew, and the congregation has carried it since its founding in Lower Manhattan in 1819. The church occupies a former Harlem Library building, so the same rooms that once held books now hold services.
The church is located at 32 West 123rd Street and is easily accessible on foot in the neighborhood. Regular services and community events occur throughout the week, offering visitors multiple opportunities to experience the space.
Edgar K. Bourne, who designed the 1891–1892 limestone and brick building, also sat on the library's board of trustees. The Harlem Library occupied it until 1901, when it joined the New York Public Library system and moved to 9-11 West 124th Street; the congregation then took over the West 123rd Street structure.
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