British Methodist Episcopal Church, Salem Chapel, Methodist church in St. Catharines, Canada.

The British Methodist Episcopal Church, Salem Chapel, is a wooden Methodist church on Geneva Street in St. Catharines, Ontario. It has pointed-arch windows on the outside, and inside, walnut benches fill a two-floor, three-sided gallery layout.

Founded in 1820 by African-American freedom seekers, the congregation first met in a small log building known as Bethel Chapel. In 1856 it joined the newly formed British Methodist Episcopal Church and took the name Salem Chapel; the present church was designated a National Historic Site in 1999.

Salem Chapel was a gathering place for the Black community in St. Catharines, and that role is still felt when you walk inside. The plain wooden benches and the three-sided gallery speak to a congregation that worshipped together after long and often dangerous journeys north.

The building is on Geneva Street and is open to visitors who want to see the interior and learn about its past. A guided tour is a good way to make the most of the visit, as original objects are on display and guides can explain the context of each space.

The chapel's most famous member was Harriet Tubman, who lived in the area from 1851 to 1858 and led many fugitives to freedom in St. Catharines via the Underground Railroad. Outside, a bust of Tubman and several historical markers stand beside the building.