Facade	Right Elevation	Left Rear Oblique	Tower Detail	Interior Altar and Pulpit
Interior Rear Gallery	Interior Timber Truss System

Sidney Park Christian Methodist Episcopal Church (formerly Sidney Park Colored Methodist Episcopal Church) was established in 1886. It is an important part of the African American experience in Columbia as well as an example of late Gothic Revival church architecture. The founding members of the church were originally members of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. When a disagreement occurred within Bethel A.M.E in the 1880s, six hundred members left to form Sidney Park. They began holding services at Stenhouse Hall, now known as Oliver Gospel Mission. In November of 1886, the group incorporated as the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church denomination and began looking for a new place of worship. With free labor and materials provided by the congregation, a wood frame church was completed in 1889 at the corner of Assembly and Blanding Streets. This building burnt ca. 1890-1892. The present church, of the same design, was built in 1893 of brick construction. Sidney Park has the only set of octagonal towers in Columbia. The tower to the east is topped by an octagonal steeple; the tower to the west has an octagonal steeple with has a circular cap covering and accentuating its point. These and other Gothic influences such as the lancet windows and pointed arches throughout, the wall buttresses, and the heavy timber truss system found in the sanctuary, help illustrate the building’s architectural significance. The congregation has a long history of involvement with civil rights activity and connection with the NAACP, whose current offices are housed in the former parsonage of the church. Listed in the National Register October 24, 1996.

View the complete text of the nomination form for this National Register property.

Most National Register properties are privately owned and are not open to the public. The privacy of owners should be respected. Not all properties retain the same integrity as when originally documented and listed in the National Register due to changes and modifications over time.

Images and texts on these pages are intended for research or educational use. Please read our statement on use and reproduction for further information on how to obtain a photocopy or how to cite an item.