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When Thomas Paul moved to Boston in 1805, white congregants forced him to sit in the balcony of the First Baptist Church to remain hidden from view.
When he began preaching at Faneuil Hall, the Black minister established a loyal following; in August, he and 20 members formed the First African Baptist Church on Beacon Hill. The following year, the African Meeting House was built – and Paul baptized over 100 individuals there before he retired in 1829.
Today, the African Meeting House is the oldest surviving African-American church in the country and is part of the Museum of African American History.
– Hannah Van Sickle, The Boston 100