A community of free African-Americans had grown up along Old Knight's Road, now Upper Ferry Road, by the 1830's. The first church at this location was built in the autumn of 1864 and was part of the Delaware Conference, organized July 29 of the same year. The original building was 20' by 24'. The present church was built a few feet from the first in 1888 on ground given by Rufus Fields. The first pastor was Rev. Harrison T. Rich. Camp meetings and prayer bands were a part of the worship services until the 1940's. Early leaders were Samuel Solomon, Jacob Cottman and Aaron Gale. The educational center opposite the church was originally a school, which served Allen's African-American community from 1895 until 1955. The first African-American school in Trappe District was created in the 1870's at another location. The 1895 building originally had one room, later enlarged to two, and served grades one through seven.