Joshua Chapel A.M.E. Church
Why it's listed
Joshua Chapel A.M.E. Church is a Gothic Revival house of worship at 110 Aiken Street in Waxahachie, Texas. Completed in 1917, it is a one-story frame building with brick veneer set on a raised basement, which is stuccoed and painted to set it apart from the body of the church. A hipped roof with gables covers the building, and pediments break through the roofline. A three-bay arcaded entry is flanked by two unmatched towers, with a three-bay porch on brick piers across the west elevation. Buttresses mark the bays along the sides, and the windows are multisash. The design is credited to William Sidney Pittman, a noted Black architect, and George Powell served as contractor. The congregation dates to 1876. Since the building went up, it has served as an architectural, social and religious landmark for Waxahachie's Black community, which is the reason it was listed as a locally important property of state-level significance.
Significance in brief: The church was designed by noted Black architect William Sidney Pittman. Since its construction in 1917 it has been a prominent architectural, social and religious landmark for Waxahachie's Black population. The congregation was organized in 1876. The reviewer recommended acceptance under criteria A and C, at a state level of significance.
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 86002345, listed September 24, 1986. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 110 Ailen, Waxahachie |
|---|---|
| County | Ellis County |
| Listed | September 24, 1986 |
| Reference number | 86002345 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | William Sidney Pittman (architect); George Powell (contractor) |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Black, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good; the property is still in religious use as a church. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Ellis County Courthouse Historic District |
| Coordinates | 32.38114, -96.84602 (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 86002345.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6289719
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.