The preservation of Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church's historic building included work on the building's masonry and reparation of water damage. Mother Bethel A.M.E. was founded in 1794 by Bishop Richard Allen, and is recognized as one of the first African American churches in the US, as well as the oldest tract of land to be continuously owned by African Americans. Bishop Allen was an important figure in the abolitionist movement, and was the first African American person to be ordained in the Methodist Episcopal Church. He and his wife, Sarah Allen, are buried at the church.
