Thompson Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church Rehabilitation Project

Duration:

2 minutes, 57 seconds

Thompson A.M.E. Zion Church Exterior Timelapse, September 21, 2022 to September 12, 2023. Notable changes include chimney reconstruction, window replacement on the parsonage building, archeological excavation, installation of the church steeple, painting on the exterior of the church, and the construction of the permanent porch on the parsonage.

 

Duration:

2 minutes, 57 seconds

Thompson A.M.E. Zion Church Interior Timelapse, April 29, 2022 to September 12, 2023. Notable changes include plaster work, reproduction stenciling, historic stencil preservation, painting, installation of reproduction light fixtures, and stripping and refinishing the wainscoting.

 

In 2022, the National Park Service broke ground on a rehabilitation project many years in the making. Beginning in spring of this year, contractors working closely with Harriet Tubman National Historical Park and the NPS Historic Architecture, Conservation, and Engineering directorate began the laborious and painstaking process of rehabilitating the Thompson Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the adjacent parsonage.
The purposes of this project are:

• Stabilize the two structures, which are currently unsafe for entrance.
• Prevent any further deterioration of building features which date back to the period of significance for the property (Harriet Tubman’s lifetime).
• Provide opportunities for the community and all park visitors to forge personal connections to Harriet Tubman and her legacy by experiencing the place where she worshipped, celebrated, and worked.
• Provide accessible facilities for visitor comfort, information, and education.
• Provide on-site workspace for National Park Service staff.

Please check back to this site for project status updates and reports as we follow this exciting work to its completion.