Wesley Temple AME Church
Also known as: Sum-243-13
Why it's listed
Wesley Temple A.M.E. Zion Church is a red brick Neo-Classical Revival building north of downtown Akron, completed in 1928 on a steel frame. Its front features a pedimented portico with four Ionic columns, round-arched stained glass windows along the sides, brick quoins and small octagonal windows. Inside, the main sanctuary keeps its original pews, light fixtures, pipe organ and balcony, while the basement sanctuary follows a modified Akron Plan with Sunday School rooms. A rear addition was built in 1963, and the portico columns were replaced with exact copies around 1980. The congregation began in 1866 as Akron's first black congregation. Over the decades the church served as a meeting place for Black organizations, a lecture hall, the site where the local NAACP chapter was organized, and the main place where unemployed Black residents were fed during the Depression. Its members included many of Akron's prominent African-American citizens.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the church is significant under Criterion A for its role in Akron's African-American history. It housed the city's oldest black congregation, founded in 1866. The church served as a religious, social, educational and civic center, hosted the local NAACP chapter's founding, and fed unemployed Black residents during the Depression.
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 94000243, listed March 17, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 104 N. Prospect St., Akron |
|---|---|
| County | Summit County |
| Listed | March 17, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000243 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1928-1943 |
| Architect / builder | Wardner, Herbert L.; Sommerville, John O. |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival (described in the text as Neo-Classical Revival) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a church; the form reports a high state of architectural integrity, with a 1963 rear addition and minor changes around 1980. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.08617, -81.51035 (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 94000243.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7984010
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.