St. Philip AME Church
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Saint Philip A.M.E. Church is a three-story Romanesque style building at 613 West Broad Street in Savannah, built in 1911-12 of brick and cement that imitates limestone. Its east front has a central section with three double doors and a large round stained-glass window, flanked by a small tower and a larger bell tower. Romanesque columns, arches and blue and green stained glass define the design. It was designed by John A. Lankford, a Tuskegee-trained black architect who served as supervising architect for the A.M.E. General Conference and wrote a builders' guide for churches. The congregation, organized in 1865 by the Reverend A.L. Stanford, was the first A.M.E. congregation in Georgia and is called the Mother Church of the state's A.M.E. churches. It served the black community's religious and social needs, hosting concerts and commencements, and drew many teachers and artisans. The church remains in use, with changes made in the 1930s and 1983-84.
Significance in brief: The church is an excellent example of Romanesque architecture applied to a religious building, with its columns, arches, stained glass and masonry. It is the work of noted black architect John A. Lankford. It is also the Mother Church of Georgia's A.M.E. congregations, the first founded in the state in 1865, and has been a focal point of black religious and social life in Savannah.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 84000959, listed August 2, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 613 W. Broad St., Savannah |
|---|---|
| County | Chatham County |
| Listed | August 2, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000959 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific dates 1911-12) |
| Architect / builder | John A. Lankford, Architect; Pharrow Construction Company, Builders |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in religious use; the south stairway was replaced by an elevator, the interior reworked, windows reglazed and a new metal roof installed in 1983-84. The upper south wall was rebuilt in the 1930s. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 32.07047, -81.10133 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 84000959.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q126726802
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.