St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church

St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church in Tarboro, N.C., was organized on the fourth Sunday in March 1866 under the leadership of George C. Caine, and its house of worship was erected in 1869 on the corner of St. David and Granville Streets. Among its notable trustees were John C. Dancy, Jr., who was elected editor of the Star of Zion and trustee of Livingstone College in Salsbury, N.C., and was active politically on the local, state, and national level; Franklin D. Dancy, who was elected Tarboro's first black mayor in 1882 and served as town commissioner and state senator; and Dr. Milton D. Quigless Sr, who established Tarboro's only black hospital in December 1946. On September 16, 1999, the church was destroyed by the floodwaters of Hurricane Floyd. Trustees who worked untiringly to refurbish the 134 year old edifice and preserve its history by developing this historical site were Alonzo Street, chairman of the trustee board; Lovie Rooks, chairman of the historical committee; Lorna P. Lloyd, co-chairman of the historical committee; Gloria B. Brown, recording secretary; Henry L. Brown, treasurer; Mary B. Black; and Lucille Brown. The only parts of St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church remaining at this location are the bell that was housed in the church's steeple, a marble tablet containing the church's beginning history, and the cornerstone.

Tarboro, North Carolina · United States