Together Again.
Bethel Center Takes Shape
In just two short years, the former A.M.E. Church has gone from a wheelwright and buggy workshop to a historical restoration project of not just stone, wood, and glass but one of a lost generation. African Americans who once lived in Garrett County all but vanished through the 1930s as the A.M.E. congregation dwindled. Railroad travel and the numerous ancillary businesses built around destination travel wained, hacking away at regional service industries. As African Americans left to seek employment, their legacies, unfortunately, left with them. However, this one remnant remained as a reminder of their presence and contributions to building the small mountaintop community that was once called home.
Jason Martin, the primary contractor and often the sole person on the job site, has skillfully completed the exterior siding while slopping through perpetual mud. Preserving as much wood as possible still required replacing more than fifty percent of the exterior siding. Both Jason and his brother Jeremy assessed the situation before deconstruction and deemed much of the exterior was too split, rotted, or cracked from age to save. It’s unsurprising that the 124-year-old building lacked proper paint for years, which could have guarded it from the elements. While still a workshop on the farm, the south and west walls were covered with aluminum siding, which helped protect them from further environmental damage. All the replacement poplar lumber was generously donated and milled to match the profile of the existing material.
A salvaged front door from a similar time awaits installation—one that was replaced with a rolling barn door to allow buggies and large wheels to move in and out of the former workshop more easily. Without any original photographs of the building, other churches that would have been constructed around 1900 and of the same denomination were used as models. The centered entry door revives the original look when the sanctuary once welcomed the A.M.E. congregation for the first service.
A closer look reveals the delicate profile of the clapboard. The softened edges of the original weathered wood subtlety show a cove cut before the tongue that interlocks with the corse above. Jason preserved as many original pieces as possible to carry the building's age forward in time. The next step will be prepping and painting the exterior as soon as the weather allows. In the meantime, replica sashes with reclaimed 1895 glass will recreate the original fixed-pane windows that were too degraded to preserve.
An electric supply line and wiring have been run inside to provide outlets and wall sconces. It’s uncertain if the original church ever had electricity or what was used to heat it in the cold months. With the critical construction and wiring completed, insulation and finishing of the interior can begin, and it’s not too soon. Anticipation is growing with a dedication ceremony planned for September 23, 2024, the same day the A.M.E. Church was originally dedicated.
The Maryland Historical Trust African American Heritage Preservation Program, Community Legacy, Preservation Maryland, and the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) generously funded the relocation and restoration project.
