Queen Chapel AME Church
Much of what is known of the early years of Queen Chapel is based on oral tradition with little documentation to establish exact dates and locations. What is documented is when the church had its beginning and when the site of the present church was purchased.
Background: The first African Methodist Episcopal church was established in 1794 by Richard Allen and others when they faced racial discrimination by the white American Methodist’s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Recognizing that other churches faced many of the same obstacles, Allen helped organize a conference with delegates from Philadelphia, Baltimore and other cities that met in April, 1816, that resulted in the establishment of a religious denomination with the name African Methodist Episcopal.1
“The African Methodist Episcopal Church, dormant in South Carolina from 1822 until 1865 because of white hostility toward Blacks, was re-organized” and “had by the end of Reconstruction established themselves as the second largest Negro denomination in the state.”2
Queen Chapel had its beginning on May 12, 1865 when the Steamship Argo landed on HHI due to a storm when on the way to Charleston. Several A.M.E. ministers were on board and decided to hold a service while they were delayed. The service was held under a large oak tree with prayers and singing, and thus began Queen’s Chapel A.M.E. Church.
There are differing stories about the time and location of the first building and the writer of this report has found nothing definitive. Various sources only say that a building was built a few years after the service under the large oak tree. While some believe that it was in the Town of Mitchelville, other reports suggest that it was located on the former Pope plantation.
What is known is that the property where the church is located today was purchased from W.D. Brown in 1886 and a building was built or relocated on the site in or about 1892. Oral tradition is that the church was built in 1862: however, the hurricane of 1893, caused significant destruction on the island. A report from the period said that only one of eight church buildings was left standing.3 The one church is not identified so it is possible that it was Queen Chapel.
A new building was built in 1954 and served the congregation until 2002 when that building was renovated with the addition of a new sanctuary with seating for 300.
Queen Chapel is an active congregation of approximately 120 members. Space is provided to Sandalwood Community Food Pantry as a service to the community.
114 Beach City Road
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Phone: 843- 681-3315
Web site: queenchapelame.com
Email: queenchapelame@hargray.com
“Looking Back” by Moses Alexander Grant ISBN: 0944514014
From: “The History of Queen Chapel African Methodist Church” written in August 2015, by Diogenette “Vernie” Singleton and included in the Sesquicentennial Celebration Banquet booklet. Copy in the vertical files at the Heritage Library
Scribner’s Magazine Vol. 15 1894 “The Sea Island Hurricanes” By Joel Chandler Harris