John Wesley A.M.E. Zion Church (Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church)

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With the decision to leave their existing church, John Brent and John Ingram began the long legacy of the John Wesley AME Zion Church. After two years of worship in private homes, the small congregation purchased their first building in 1849; by 1914, however, the church’s population had grown to necessitate their move to its current location on 14th Street NW. The church, designed in the Romanesque Revival style, would house a congregation with steady growth and dedicated involvement in its activities.

Throughout its history, the church has hosted and created multiple organizations, clubs, and committees to offer support to its congregants. Because of its prominence, both in the building’s structure and in its popularity, John Wesley became the “national church of Zion Methodism,” cementing its place as a centerpiece to the denomination. The church hosted multiple national conventions for the AME Zion Church.

In order to maintain the church’s status, the building has undergone different rounds of renovations. The first major renovations occurred in 1978, but the building suffered damage from a fire that broke out the next year. The congregation was forced to gather elsewhere while repairs were made. The most recent renovations occurred in 2010, which were completed in one year.

DC Inventory: July 24, 1968 (Joint Committee on Landmarks)
Within Greater Fourteenth Street Historic District