Nestled at the end of a quiet Beacon Hill street, this small but impactful museum showcases the rich African American history of 19th-century Boston in two historic brick buildings.
"The small but mighty Museum of African American History focuses on the life and work of the African American community who lived on the north slope of Beacon Hill in the 19th century and propelled the abolitionist and civil rights movements forward. At the end of a quiet street, the museum spans two historic brick buildings, both with significant legacies in the neighborhood. The first, the African Meeting House, is the oldest black church still standing today, which served as the “Black Faneuil Hall” and later, an informal home to the abolitionist movement. Next door, the Abiel Smith School was the nation’s oldest public school for African American children and eventually a headquarters for black Civil War veterans." - Andrew Sessa, Elizabeth Wellington
"What’s this place all about?At the end of a quiet street in Beacon Hill, the Museum of African American History spans two historic brick buildings, both with significant legacies in the neighborhood. The small but mighty museum focuses on the life and work of the African American community who lived on the north slope of the hill in the 19th century, and propelled the abolitionist and civil rights movements forward. A museum's permanent collection is defining: How was this one?The brick buildings serve as the museum’s permanent exhibits. The African Meeting House is the oldest black church still standing today. Built with resources pooled from the community and by skilled African American craftsman in 1806, it served as the “Black Faneuil Hall.” In 1832, the federal-style meeting house became an important hub of the abolitionist movement when Black members of the Massachusetts General Colored Association—the first radical abolitionist group in Boston—invited William Lloyd Garrison into the basement of the Meeting House to found the New England Anti-Slavery Society. But exhibits keep us coming back. How were they?The Abiel Smith School holds one small rotating exhibition on its upper floors. A recent exhibit on the Emancipation Proclamation—a copy of which, signed by Abraham Lincoln, can be found at the nearby Boston Athenaeum—offered deep inside into the thought process behind the creation of this celebrated document, as well as its long-standing impact. The show featured excerpts from an MAAH-produced documentary about Boston’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation Jubilee events, one hosted by affluent whites to raise money to educate the enslaved, the other by Black Bostonians and held at Tremont Temple, the country first equally integrated congregation. What did you make of the crowd?Because it’s tucked away on a residential street, museum-goers make an intentional visit to this historic museum. On the practical tip, how were the facilities?The African Meeting House is fully accessible, while the elevator in the Abiel Smith School is undergoing repairs. Any guided tours worth trying?Every ticket to the museum—which must be booked ahead and are timed entry—comes with a guided tour of the African Meeting House led by museum staff. Groups can book private tours for more background and history that places the museum within a larger domestic and international context. Gift shop: obligatory, inspiring—or skip it?The small shop at the Abiel Smith School sells notable books on the African American community in Boston and their contributions to abolitionism and the civil rights movement, as well as other gift items related to African American history and culture. Any advice for the time- or attention-challenged?If you time your visit to coincide with the guided talk, you can do the whole place in about an hour." - Elizabeth Wellington
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