Maine Archives and Museums

The Abyssinian Church
Portland

73-75 Newbury Street
P.O. Box 11064
Portland, Maine 04104

Built in 1828, the Abyssinian Church is Maine's oldest Afro-American meetinghouse and the 3rd oldest Afro-American meetinghouse in the United States. Prior to the Civil War, it housed a school for black children and hosted anti-slavery rallies. Its members actively participated in the work of the Underground Railroad, often hiding runaway slaves in their homes or at the church. The Church closed in 1918 and the building left to deteriorate by subsequent owners. The Committee to Restore the Abyssinian Church has now begun the long process of restoring the building for use as a cultural center and museum of Afro-American life in Maine.

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