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33-519: Old Trinity Church is located here. An Anglican (now Episcopal) brick church built in 1675, it is the oldest church building in the US in continuous ecclesiastical use. Church Creek is located at 38°30′19″N 76°9′16″W  /  38.50528°N 76.15444°W  / 38.50528; -76.15444 (38.505300, −76.154367). The town is located at the head of the Church Creek river, a tributary of

66-575: A distinct and independent identity until 1999, when a restructuring of the UCC merged it into the Justice and Witness Ministries division. Its magazine, American Missionary , was published 1846–1934, and had a circulation of 20,000 in the 19th century, ten times that of the abolitionist William Garrison 's magazine. The Cornell University Library has editions from 1878–1901 accessible online in its Making of America digital library. The records of

99-410: A household in the town was $ 25,750, and the median income for a family was $ 26,875. Males had a median income of $ 21,250 versus $ 16,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 19,700. None of the population and none of the families were below the poverty line . The exact origins of Church Creek remain unclear. Popular tradition maintains that Church Creek predates Cambridge, Maryland as

132-750: A significant role in several key historical events and movements, including the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Civil Rights Movement. In the 1850s it assisted the operation of the Underground Railroad for men and women fleeing enslavement in the South. Starting in 1861, it opened camps in the South for former slaves. It played a major role during and after the Reconstruction Era in promoting education for blacks in

165-511: A southern African American teacher even during Reconstruction. In addition, one of every six teachers from the North were African American. Old Trinity Church (Church Creek) Old Trinity Church is an historic Episcopal church at 1716 Taylors Island Road in Church Creek, Maryland . It was built around 1675 of red brick and is one of the oldest church buildings in continuous use in

198-636: The Little Choptank River . According to the United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 0.34 square miles (0.88 km), all land. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Church Creek has a humid subtropical climate , abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. As of

231-652: The Roanoke Island Freedmen's Colony (1863–1867). Located on an island occupied by Union troops, the colony was intended to be self-sustaining. It was supervised by Horace James , a Congregational chaplain appointed by the Army as "Superintendent for Negro Affairs in the North Carolina District". The first of 27 teachers who volunteered through the AMA was his cousin, Elizabeth James. By 1864

264-438: The census of 2010, there were 125 people, 59 households, and 37 families residing in the town. The population density was 367.6 inhabitants per square mile (141.9/km). There were 67 housing units at an average density of 197.1 per square mile (76.1/km). The racial makeup of the town was 89.6% White , 6.4% African American , 0.8% from other races , and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.8% of

297-527: The AMA began their support of education for blacks before the Civil War. Once war had begun, they recruited teachers for the numerous contraband camps that developed in Union-occupied territory in the South. In slaveholding Union states, such as Kentucky, the AMA staffed schools for both the newly emancipated United States Colored Troops and their families, such as at Camp Nelson, now known as Camp Nelson Heritage National Monument . Leading this effort

330-704: The AMA's achievements was the founding of anti-slavery churches. For instance, the abolitionist Owen Lovejoy was among the Congregational ministers of the AMA who helped start 115 anti-slavery churches in Illinois before the American Civil War , building on the strong westward migration of population to that area. Another member, Rev. Mansfield French , an Episcopalian who became a Methodist, helped found Wilberforce University in Ohio. Members of

363-588: The American Civil War, Church Creek was an early site for education of African Americans. The state passed the Public Instruction Act of 1865 to earmark public funds for the education of African-American students. But white-dominated Maryland county and city school boards refused to distribute the allocated money for the building and maintenance of African-American schools in the segregated system. Instead, private organizations, such as

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396-541: The Civil War. It spent more money for that purpose than did the Freedmen's Bureau of the federal government." In addition, the AMA organized the Freedmen's Aid Society , which recruited northern teachers for the schools and arranged to find housing for them in the South. In the mid-1870s, white Democrats began to regain control of state legislatures through violence and intimidation at the polls that suppressed Republican voting. The Association expressed disappointment at

429-476: The South by establishing numerous schools and colleges, as well as paying for teachers. It helped establish Black churches and civic organizations. Its teachers and workers were targets of white supremacy groups such as the Ku Klux Klan . Outside the South it also promoted schools for Native Americans and immigrants. The AMA continued to play a role in the Civil Rights Movement in the 20th century, supporting

462-576: The alphabet but could not read at all; now they read well, as far as First Step No. 12 on the Chart. … A class of seven read well in the First Reader, and are to commence Arithmetic at once. Another … [is] using the Third Reader and studying Geography." From 1861 to 1876 more than one-third of teachers in southern colored schools were African Americans, so it is likely that Osbourne was replaced by

495-474: The beginning the leadership was integrated: the first board was made up of 12 men, four of them black. One of its primary objectives was to abolish slavery. The AMA (American Missionary Association) was one of the organizations responsible for pushing slavery onto the national political agenda. The organization started the American Missionary magazine, published from 1846 through 1934. Among

528-478: The colony had more than 2200 residents, and both children and adults filled the classrooms in the several one-room schools, as they were eager for learning. The missionary teachers also evangelized and helped provide the limited medical care of the time. The AMA's pace of founding schools and colleges increased during and after the war. Freedmen, historically free blacks (many of whom were "mulattoes" of mixed race), and white sympathizers alike believed that education

561-606: The continental United States and original thirteen states. The church was restored in the 1950s and still holds regular Sunday worship services and has an active burial ground. 38°30′14″N 76°10′01″W  /  38.50380°N 76.16699°W  / 38.50380; -76.16699 American Missionary Association The American Missionary Association ( AMA ) was a Protestant -based abolitionist group founded on September 3, 1846 (178 years ago)  ( 1846-09-03 ) in Albany, New York . The main purpose of

594-606: The earliest settlement in Dorchester County, and was first established at some point before 1684 under the name Dorchester Town and then White Haven. This has been disputed by historian Elias Jones, who found no indication of land sales in the area before 1700 in County Land Records. Both the town and river of Church Creek derive their name from the nearby Episcopal church, now known as Old Trinity Church, built c. 1675. In 1867, Church Creek officially became

627-592: The failures of the Reconstruction Era but never wavered in opposing disenfranchisement and continued the struggle over the following decades. By the 1870s, the AMA national office had relocated to New York City . While the AMA became widely known in the United States for its work in opposition to slavery and in support of education for freedmen, it also sponsored and maintained missions in numerous nations overseas. The 19th-century missionary effort

660-462: The forty-second Incorporated town in Maryland, and remains one of the 123 such towns today. In 1975, the town adopted its first municipal tax in order to qualify for state tax grants and federal revenue-sharing. The first major industry in Church Creek was shipbuilding, established at some point before 1767, which took advantage of surrounding forests plentiful with white oak and pine. As a result,

693-562: The northern American Missionary Association , spearheaded the raising and allocation of money throughout Maryland. The fifth African-American county school was established in Church Creek on September 27, 1865 under the care of Mary S. Osbourne, with a total enrollment of thirty-two students. The County schools were quickly opposed by local residents, sometimes violently. In October and November 1865, arsonists destroyed African-American schools in Millington, Edesville, and Kent County. Though

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726-603: The organization was abolition of slavery, education of African Americans , promotion of racial equality, and spreading Christian values . Its members and leaders were of both races; the Association was chiefly sponsored by the Congregationalist churches in New England. The main goals were to abolish slavery, provide education to African Americans, and promote racial equality for free Blacks. The AMA played

759-513: The population of the town grew during the 18th and 19th centuries. The 1860 census recorded 218 families and 1,103, of which 51 percent were occupied as "laborers" and 26 percent occupied as "farmers". Toward the end of the 19th century, regional deforestation resulted in a downturn in the wooden shipbuilding industry. This adversely affected the industrial prosperity of Church Creek, and the population subsequently declined. The economy of Church Creek has historically benefited from human traffic due to

792-439: The population. There were 59 households, of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.3% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size

825-512: The school at Church Creek was not attacked, it did encounter local antagonism. In December 1865, a group of Church Creek residents held an "indignation meeting" to organize and communicate their opposition to the African-American school and its teacher, Mary S. Osbourne. The Church Creek school for African-American students operated successfully throughout the 1865–66 school year. As teacher Mary S. Osbourne reported: "One class of six knew

858-544: The town's location at the crossroads of Taylor's Island Road (Route 16) and Church Creek-Golden Hill Road (Route 335). During the first half of the twentieth century, the residents of Church Creek maintained eight or nine general stores. But during the second half of the 20th century, the town's economy and population continued to decline. According to the United States Census Records, the town contained 187 people in 1950, down to 115 in 1990. Following

891-539: The town. The population density was 271.4 inhabitants per square mile (104.8/km). There were 45 housing units at an average density of 143.7 per square mile (55.5/km). The racial makeup of the town was 100.00% White . There were 41 households, out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who

924-653: The work of activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. and supporting legal efforts to desegregate public schools. The American Missionary Association was started by members of the American Home Missionary Society (AHMS) and the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), who were disappointed that their first organizations refused to take stands against slavery and accepted contributions from slaveholders. From

957-536: Was Rev. John Gregg Fee . Rev. French was assigned to Port Royal, South Carolina , and went on a speaking tour with Robert Smalls , who famously escaped enslavement, as well as met with President Abraham Lincoln , Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton and Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase , jointly convincing them to allow blacks to serve in the Union military. By war's end, Union forces had organized 100 contraband camps, and many had AMA teachers. The AMA also served

990-422: Was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.65. The median age in the town was 47.8 years. 16% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20% were from 25 to 44; 32% were from 45 to 64; and 22.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 44.8% male and 55.2% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 85 people, 41 households, and 25 families residing in

1023-449: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.69. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 1.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 24.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.7 males. The median income for

Church Creek, Maryland - Misplaced Pages Continue

1056-415: Was a priority for the newly freed people. It created and supported Atlanta University, Hampton Institute, Fisk University; Talladega College; Tougaloo College; Straight College (now Dillard University); Tillotson College (now Huston-Tillotson); and LeMoyne College (now LeMoyne Owen). Altogether, "the AMA founded eleven colleges and more than five hundred schools for the freedmen of the South during and after

1089-610: Was strong in India, China and east Asia. It was strongly supported by Congregational and Christian churches. Over time, the association became most closely aligned with the Congregational Christian Churches , established in 1931 as a union between those two groups of churches. Most of those congregations became members of the United Church of Christ (UCC) in the late 20th century. The AMA maintained

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