Historic Significance: These churches, all founded in the late 1800’s, provided African Americans the opportunity to gather and worship. In addition to providing a base of power that fostered leadership opportunities and initiated political change, these churches provided important social services to their communities including establishing schools and caring for the poor and homeless.

Threat: Demolition. Due to financial and land constraints of the current congregations, each of these churches is being razed to make way for newer, larger church facilities. The loss of these structures that witnessed significant political and civil rights shifts, marks the end of an era in African American history.

Mount Pisgah A.M.E. was founded in 1898 in Jonestown, a town founded by free blacks before the Civil War, that was once located along Route 108 near Howard High School. The first church edifice was donated by the Bellow Springs Methodist Church and was moved to Jonestown in 1901. The historic Mount Pisgah presently located along Route 108 was rebuilt in 1923. Funds are being sought to move this small structure out of the path of new construction for a neighboring church.

Mount Gregory Church was founded in the 1870’s in Cooksville. In 1867, Thomas Hood granted an acre of land and a stone building for the sole purpose of educating the "black children of Cooksville." Within a few years, the deed was amended to include "school and church," and the first floor of the stone building was used for worship, leaving the top floor to be utilized as a school. The current Mount Gregory church edifice was constructed in 1898. This church is due to be razed to allow for expansion of a new church building.

Locust Methodist was established in 1869 as "Locust Chapel." The current edifice was built in 1951 on the site of the original church. The church served the surrounding free black community known as "Freetown." This church is being razed to make way for a new church building