{"nrhp_refnum":"07000168","name":"Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and Parsonage","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"6 Sever St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Plymouth","county":"Plymouth County","state":"MA","lat":41.95714283800004,"lon":-70.66846229599997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2007-03-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Religion","Black","Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A small wood-frame church and a rear parsonage at 6 Sever Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The church was built about 1840 and converted to an African Methodist Episcopal church in 1870; the parsonage was completed in 1895.","why_significant":"The complex is argued to be significant for its long religious, civic and social role and its connection to Plymouth's African-American community, meeting Criteria A and C. The church is a transitional Greek Revival/Italianate building and the parsonage is a vernacular dwelling, together typical of mid- and late-19th-century design in Plymouth. Both retain good integrity and are significant at the local level.","narrative":"Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and its parsonage occupy a small lot at 6 Sever Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The church is a 1½-story wood-frame building from about 1840 that mixes Greek Revival and Italianate details, including Doric corner boards, a wide cornice and paired brackets. It was first used for several purposes, then dedicated as an AME church on August 5, 1870, after a group of local trustees acquired it. Behind it stands a plain 1½-story parsonage completed in 1895. Both buildings have been modestly altered over time, including a new foundation after a 1915-16 flood and a fellowship hall excavated in the basement in 1980. The complex is recognized for its long role in the religious and social life of Plymouth's African-American community and for its simple, well-preserved examples of 19th-century vernacular architecture. It remains in use by its congregation.","period_of_significance":"ca. 1840-1957","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival/Italianate (church); no style (vernacular parsonage)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as in fair to good condition and still in use as a church and parsonage, with about 136 years of continuous religious service.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:04.771824-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/4/7966/63796604/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/07000168.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/07000168/13aef8c7d6-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/07000168/13aef8c7d6-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bethel_African_Methodist_Episcopal_Church,_Plymouth_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">John Phelan</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bethel_African_Methodist_Episcopal_Church,_Plymouth_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796604","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethel_African_Methodist_Episcopal_Church_and_Parsonage","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4897857"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/plymouth-county/bethel-african-methodist-episcopal-church-and-parsonage-07000168/"}