Mount Gilead A.M.E. Church, African Methodist Episcopal church on Buckingham Mountain in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, US.
Mount Gilead A.M.E. Church is a stone building situated on a hilltop surrounded by woodland in Buckingham Township. The structure stands beside an old burial ground with graves of congregation members and Civil War soldiers.
The congregation was founded in 1822 by fifteen freed and formerly enslaved African Americans who settled on this mountain. A wooden chapel was first built for worship in 1834, followed by the replacement stone church that still stands today.
The church took its name from a biblical mountain and was founded by a community seeking to establish roots. Today the building reflects how African American families built and maintained their own place of worship and gathering.
The church is located on Holicong Road in Buckingham Township on a hillside with views of the surrounding area. The site is accessible, but visitors should remember this is an active place of worship and should approach with respect.
This church served as the final safe stopping point on the Underground Railroad before people crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey. More than one hundred African Americans found shelter and assistance here during their journey to freedom.
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