{"nrhp_refnum":"85002490","name":"Bethel AME Church and Manse","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"291 Park Ave.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Huntington","county":"Suffolk County","state":"NY","lat":40.87804262800006,"lon":-73.41803679099996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-09-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Black","Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-and-one-half story wood frame church (1840s) and a two-story wood frame manse (circa 1915) at 291 Park Avenue in the village of Huntington, Suffolk County, New York.","why_significant":"The complex is argued to be the most important surviving historic resource tied to local black history in the town of Huntington. The 1840s church was built by a Methodist congregation but has been used by Huntington's black residents since 1860, and it is the oldest black church in continuous use in the town. Its wood frame, utilitarian construction is also representative of local building tradition.","narrative":"Bethel AME Church and Manse occupy a small lot at 291 Park Avenue in the village of Huntington, across the street from Huntington Hospital. The church is a one-and-one-half story wood frame building with a gable roof, clapboard siding, three entrances on the east facade, and round-arch stained-glass windows. Next door stands a two-story, hip-roofed manse of about 1915, now covered in asbestos siding. The church was built in the 1840s by the local Methodist congregation and has been used by Huntington's black residents since 1860. It is the oldest black church in continuous use in the town. Of three properties identified in a town-wide survey as connected to local black history, it is considered the most important, given its long role in the community's spiritual and social life and its prominent location. Both buildings show plain wood construction typical of the area, and despite alterations they keep their overall historic appearance.","period_of_significance":"1840s-1915","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Still used as a church; condition listed as fair, with alterations but retaining overall historic appearance. Manse covered in modern asbestos siding.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:44.879198-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/85002490.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002490/e29b00ba5d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85002490/e29b00ba5d-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Muncharelli","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bethel_AME_Church_and_Manse.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Muncharelli</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_AME_Church_and_Manse.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75314953","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethel_AME_Church_and_Manse","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4897849"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/suffolk-county/bethel-ame-church-and-manse-85002490/"}