Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church
Also known as: All Souls Unitarian Church
Why it's listed
Located at 551 Warren Street in Roxbury, this L-shaped church and parish house was designed by Boston architect J. Williams Beal and built in 1888-89 for the Mount Pleasant Congregational Church, which took the name All Souls. Carpenter Melzar W. Allen and mason Alfred Blight worked with Beal on its distinctive features. The walls are Roxbury puddingstone trimmed with Quincy granite, with a crenellated corner tower and a cypress-finished interior featuring an elaborate timber ceiling. Surviving stained glass includes windows by John LaFarge. The building later served a Swedish congregation before the Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church bought it in 1939. That congregation, with roots in abolitionist-era meetings on Beacon Hill, was the last black congregation there, and its move reflected the shift of Boston's black population to Roxbury. The building was recognized for its architecture, its history and its use of locally made products.
Significance in brief: The church is a major work of architect J. Williams Beal, built of Roxbury puddingstone with Quincy granite trim, and it retains stained glass by John LaFarge and McDonald. Its 1939 purchase by the Charles Street A.M.E. congregation, the last black congregation on Beacon Hill, reflects the movement of Boston's black population to Roxbury. The form cites criteria A and C.
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 83000601, listed September 1, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 551 Warren St., Boston |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | September 1, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000601 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific date 1888) |
| Architect / builder | J. Williams Beal, architect; Alfred Blight, mason; Melzar W. Allen, carpenter |
| Architectural style | Tudor, combining Gothic Revival and Tudor Revival elements |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Art, Black, Architecture, Religion, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in religious use by the Charles Street African Methodist Episcopal Church; condition listed as fair, with new rooms in process or planned below the sanctuary and above the narthex. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.31266, -71.08370 (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 83000601.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5082719
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.