HomeMy WebLinkAboutExhibitFLORIDA DEPARTMENT Of STATE
RON DESANTIS CORD BYRD
Governor Secretary of State
March 3, 2023
Ms. Anna Pernas
Preservation Officer
444 SW 2nd Avenue, 3rd Floor
Miami, FL 33130
Re: Ebenezer Methodist Church (FMSF No. DA00428), 1074 NW 3rd Avenue, Miami, Miami -Dade
County
Dear Ms. Pernas:
A Florida National Register Nomination Proposal for the above referenced property has been prepared by
the State Historic Preservation Office. We solicit your review and recommendation concerning eligibility
in accordance with the procedures established by the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (54
U.S.C. 302504), which created the basis for the participation of Certified Local Governments in the
Florida National Register of Historic Places nomination process.
According to the Act, before properties within the jurisdiction of the certified local government may be
considered by the State to be nominated for inclusion on the National Register, the State Historic
Preservation Officer shall notify the owners, the applicable chief local elected official, and the local
historic preservation commission. The commission, after reasonable opportunity for public comment,
shall prepare a report as to whether or not such properties meets the eligibility criteria. Within sixty days
of the notice from the State Historic Preservation Officer, the chief local elected official shall transmit the
report of the commission and their recommendation to the State Historic Preservation Officer. If no such
report and recommendation are received within sixty days, the State shall proceed with the nomination
process.
If either the preservation agency or the chief local elected official supports the nomination of the property,
the proposal will be scheduled for consideration by the Florida National Register Review Board. We
have tentatively scheduled the nomination for the above property for consideration by the Florida
National Register Review Board at their May 4, 2023 meeting.
If both the commission and the chief local elected official recommend that a property not be nominated to
the National Register, the State Historic Preservation Officer shall take no further action, unless within
thirty days of the receipt of such recommendation by the State Historic Preservation Officer an appeal is
filed with the State. Any party may file an appeal with the State Historic Preservation Officer. If the
State Historic Preservation Officer, after hearing the appeal, determines that the property is eligible, he
Division of Historical Resources
R.A. Gray Building • 500 South Bronough Streets Tallahassee, Florida 32399
—850.245.6300 • 850.245.6436 (Fax) • FLHeritage.com
Pernas
March 3, 2023
Page Two
shall proceed with the nomination process. The State Historic Preservation Officer shall include any
reports and recommendations from any party along with the nomination submitted to the Keeper of the
Register.
We look forward to your recommendation and comments regarding this property. If we can be of any
further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me at Ruben.Acosta,u;dos.mvilorida.con. or
850-245-6364.
Sincerely,
17
Ruben A. Acosta
Bureau Chief
Bureau of Historic Preservation
RAA/ajw
Enclosures
NPS Form 10-900
(Rev. 10-90
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
REGISTRATION FORM
OMB No. 1024-0018
This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the National
Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering
the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural
classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative
items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items.
1. Name of Property
historic name Ebenezer Methodist Church
other names/site number DA00428
2. Location
street & number 1074 NW 31dAvenue
city or town Miami
state Florida
❑ not for publication
❑ vicinity
code FL county Miami -Dade code zip code 33136
3. State/Federal Agency Certification
As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this ® nomination
❑ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of
Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property
El meets ❑ does not meet the National Register criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant
❑ nationally ❑ statewide ® locally. (❑ See continuation sheet for additional comments.)
Signature of certifying official/Title
Date
Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, Bureau of Historic Preservation
State or Federal agency and bureau
In my opinion, the property 0 meets ❑ does not meet the National Register criteria. (❑See continuation sheet for additional
comments.)
Signature of certifying official/Title
Date
State or Federal agency and bureau
4. National Park Service Certification
I hereby certify that the property is:
❑ entered in the National Register
❑ See continuation sheet
❑ determined eligible for the
National Register
❑ See continuation sheet.
❑ determined not eligible for the
National Register
❑ See continuation sheet.
❑ removed from the National
Register.
❑ other, (explain)
Signature of the Keeper
Date of Action
Ebenezer Methodist Church
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
5. Classification
Ownership of Property Category of Property
(Check as many boxes as apply) (Check only one box)
❑ private
® public -local
❑ public -State
❑ public -Federal
® buildings
❑ district
❑ site
❑ structure
❑ object
Name of related multiple property listings
(Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing.)
Historic and Architectural Properties of Overtown in Miami,
Florida (1896-1964)
Number of Resources within Property
(Do not include any previously listed resources in the count)
Contributing Noncontributing
1 0 buildings
0 0 sites
0 0 structures
0 0 objects
1 0 total
Number of contributing resources previously
listed in the National Register
0
6. Function or Use
Historic Functions
(Enter categories from instructions)
RELIGION: Religious Facility
Current Functions
(Enter categories from instructions)
RECREATION: Auditorium
7. Description
Architectural Classification
(Enter categories from instructions)
LATE 19TH & 20TH CENTURY REVIVALS: Gothic Revival
Materials
(Enter categories from instructions)
foundation CONCRETE
walls CONCRETE BLOCK
roof
STUCCO
ASPHALT
other CAST STONE
Narrative Description
(Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.)
Ebenezer Methodist Church Miami -Dade, Florida
Name of Property County and State
8. Statement of Significance
Applicable National Register Criteria
(Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property
for National Register listing.)
® A Property is associated with events that have made
a significant contribution to the broad patterns of
our history.
❑ B Property is associated with the lives of persons
significant in our past.
® C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics
of a type, period, or method of construction or
represents the work of a master, or possesses
high artistic values, or represents a significant and
distinguishable entity whose components lack
individual distinction.
❑ D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield
information important in prehistory or history.
Criteria Considerations
(Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.)
Property is:
❑ A owned by a religious institution or used for
religious purposes.
❑ B removed from its original location.
❑ C a birthplace or grave.
❑ D a cemetery.
❑ E a reconstructed building, object, or structure.
❑ F a commemorative property.
❑ G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance
within the past 50 years
Narrative Statement of Significance
(Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.)
Areas of Significance
(Enter categories from instructions)
Ethnic Heritage: Black
Social History
Architecture
Period of Significance
1948 - 1971
Significant Dates
1948
Significant Person
N/A
Cultural Affiliation
N/A
Architect/Builder
Architect: Unknown
Builder: Scott -Whitaker
9. Major Bibliographical References
Bibliography
Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one
Previous documentation on file (NPS):
® preliminary determination of individual listing (36
CFR 36) has been requested
['previously listed in the National Register
['previously determined eligible by the National
Register
['designated a National Historic Landmark
['recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey
['recorded by Historic American Engineering Record
or more continuation sheets.)
Primary location of additional data:
® State Historic Preservation Office
['Other State Agency
['Federal agency
® Local government
❑ University
['Other
Name of Repository
Ebenezer Methodist Church Miami -Dade, Florida
Name of Property County and State
10. Geographical Data
Acreage of Property less than one acre
UTM References
(Place additional references on a continuation sheet.)
111171 151810 21618 1218 I210 7191
Zone Eastin Northing
211111� II II II 1II
Verbal Boundary Description
(Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.)
Boundary Justification
(Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.)
3III11 I I II I
4 I o le I IEait�nn I I Northing) I I
❑ See continuation sheet
11. Form Prepared By
name/title Laura Weinstein -Berman, AIA
organization Dade Heritage Trust / LW Associates, Inc. date February 2023
street & number 6103 Aqua Ave Ste 602 telephone 305-606-8948
city or town Miami Beach state FL
zip code 33141
Additional Documentation
Submit the following items with the completed form:
Continuation Sheets
Maps
A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location.
A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources.
Photographs
Clear and descriptive photographs under separate cover. The size of each image must be 3000x2000 pixels,
at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or larger. Each photograph must be numbered in the order they are referenced in the
manuscript, and that number must correspond to the photograph number on the photo log.
Additional items
(check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items)
Property Owner
(Complete this item at the request of SHPO or FPO.)
name Southeast Overtown Park West Community Redevelopment Agency
street & number 819 NW 2"d Avenue, 31d Floor telephone (305) 679-6800
city or town Miami
state FL
zip code 33136
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to
list properties, and amend listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.).
Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and
completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127,
Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Projects (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 7 Page 1
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
SUMMARY
Ebenezer Methodist Church is located at 1074 NW 3rd Avenue in Miami, Miami -Dade County, Florida.
The two-story with basement, concrete block building sits on a prominent intersection in the Overtown
community at the comer of NW 3rd Avenue and NW 11th Street. The church was built in 1948 during the
period of segregation in Miami. Despite capital and material constraints during the time of construction,
the Ebenezer Methodist Church is the best extant example of the Gothic Revival style with traditional
religious forms in Overtown.1 The building's exterior design elements include a gable roof with flanking
square towers at the main east facade, tripartite elevated entrance portico, parapet walls with lancet
arches, stucco relief detailing, and precast concrete surrounds for doors and windows. The interior
organization of the building with a basement, with an assembly room on the ground level, and a
clerestory space with services on the second level, reflects a building tradition that African Americans
carried out from the earliest churches. Ebenezer Methodist Church was abandoned for decades prior to
the transfer of ownership to the Southeast Overtown Park West Community Redevelopment Agency
(SEOPW CRA) in 2010. In 2012, the SEOPW CRA began to renovate the building to be adaptively
reused as the Overtown Performing Arts Center. The building's original exterior design is intact, and
interior alterations maintain the general massing and form of the original structure; however the
building's interior has been modified to meet current building, accessibility, and functionality upgrades.
Due to its significance as one of the last extant early African American churches and as the best
remaining example of Gothic Revival style in the Overtown community, the physical appearance of the
church, especially the intact exterior design features and presence of original materials, conveys the
historic character of the property. Despite the changes that have taken place to the building, it retains its
integrity for listing.
SETTING
Ebenezer Methodist Church is located in the city of Miami, in Miami -Dade County, Florida. Since the
1985 Downtown Miami Multiple Resource Area (MRA), much of the historic fabric of Overtown has
been lost to continued urban renewal, highway construction, speculative development, and neglect. Due
to the significant loss of Overtown's early architecture, this particular area has been the target of
revitalization and adaptive reuse efforts by the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community
Redevelopment Agency, established in 1982.
The property is approximately 0.115 acres in size, and is located on a prominent comer lot. The property
is bounded by NW llth Street to the north, Northwest 3rd Avenue to the east, the two-story 1950s
' There is another extant Gothic Revival Church in Overtown, St. Agnes Episcopal Church at 1750 NW 3' Avenue. The
architectural features are smaller is scale and less representative of the Gothic Revival style (Figure 12). Ebenezer Methodist
Church is the best extant example of a Gothic Revival church in Overtown.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 7 Page 2
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Modem Office building to the south, and vacant land to the west.2 The property is located less than 300
feet from the I-95 overpass. The site remains urban in nature, with a zero -foot setback from the fronting
public sidewalk and street on the main east and north facades. There is no landscaping on the primary
east or north street frontage. Several steps from the street level elevates the visitor into an open-air
arcade along the main east facade entrance and interior double -height sanctuary space.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Ebenezer Methodist Church Exterior
The Ebenezer Methodist Church is a two-story concrete block building with a basement level (Photo 1).
The church's exterior walls are stucco, painted in light beige, with stucco detailing and the base
contrasted in dark brown painted stucco. The gable roof is composite shingle with a wood deck
structure. Though original fenestration and door openings remain intact, they have been replaced with
historically compatible aluminum frame windows and metal doors with wood texture veneer.
East Facade
Fronting to the east, the principal elevation is characterized by a tripartite arrangement of lancet arches
leading up to the main sanctuary space (Photo 2). A set of masonry steps brings the visitor from the
sidewalk and through the arched open-air portico. The elevated entrance and open-air portico have a
tripartite arrangement of double doors, allowing visitors to access the interior space. The principal
elevation of the church is embellished with two square towers flanking a central gable, which echoes the
form of the roof. The volumetric shapes of the primary single -story gabled entrance, bookmarked by the
two-story surrounding towers, and the further recessed gabled cap, which recede in the background, was
an unusual and highly decorative feature (Photo 3). The exterior of the church is clad in stucco, and its
broad surface plane is broken by decorative ornamentation comprised of cast concrete details (Photos 4,
5). Two wood doors at the ground basement level of the bookmarked towers lead to the lower level. This
allowed visitors to directly reach the basement -level private meeting rooms and service areas. Above
each pair of the basement wood doors are singular centered exterior mounted lamps.
The excellence of the building's design and detailed articulation is particularly evident in the
composition of its principal elevation. The recessed entrance and lancet windows represent a noteworthy
adaptation to the area's local climate to allow maximum interior ventilation and passive cooling. The
elevations are delineated by a darker brown paint at the bottom floor and a lighter paint at the upper
floors. This provided a sense of lightness and grandeur as the building projects upwards into the sky.
This technique allows the building to display its corner prominence with emphasis on the verticality of
the religious building.
2 The 1950s Modeme Office is identified in the "Historic Overtown Multiple Property Listing" as potentially eligible for
listing.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 7 Page 3
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
North and South Facades
The north and south side elevations of the church are composed of four bays, flanked by a corner two-
story tower on the east side and smaller one-story gable -roofed projections on the west side (Photo 2).
Within each bay is a lancet window with metal frame and casement sash windows. The bays of the north
and south elevations are divided by stylized masonry buttresses, which emphasize the Gothic Revival
architectural style (Photos 6, 7). The two primary towers wrap from the main east facade to the north
and south facades, providing a solid square feature evoking sturdiness, verticality, and prominence on
the infill urban site. Small vertical windows punctuate the towers, one on the primary east facade and
three in a cascading diagonal on both the north and south sides of each tower. These correspond to
stairways within the towers. The towers have corner buttresses which are capped by small projecting
gables at all four corners, further repeating the primary gabled roof structure at the two front projecting
volumes. The buttresses between the lancet windows provide decorative detailing unique as a
comparative architectural analysis to the surrounding construction methods within the Overtown
community.
West Facade
The west facade (rear) follows the gabled outline of the main east facade (Photo 7). The flat facade is
punctuated by four sections of black grills. The dark brown stucco banding at the bottom is continued
from the north and south facades. The west facade faces onto a grass vacant lot, utilized as parking
during events.
Ebenezer Methodist Church Interior
The church's interior is organized in an auditorium plan, which was typical for early 20th century
churches. The modest plan allowed a large double -height interior space with a raised dais containing the
sanctuary and choir area, with a proscenium arch to emphasize the altar. Due to the small-scale urban
nature of the corner lot, the simple interior was also typical when compared to the interior layout of
Overtown churches of similar social, religious, and political importance. The Mt. Zion Baptist Church
(DA2359) at 201 NW 9th Street (Figure 9), the Greater Bethel AME Church (DA2367) at 245 NW 8th
Street (Figure 10), and St. John's Baptist Church (DA5127) at 1238 NW 3rd Avenue (Figure 11), all
employ similar street presence and simple interior layouts.3
The primary access to the church is on the east facade and elevated from the street. Three sets of wood
double doors allow access to the main sanctuary space through a tripartite arched open-air portico. The
first floor has a main assembly space and private small kitchen at the west end. The double -height main
assembly can also be viewed from the second floor gallery. The second floor has two flanking private
offices spaces and a restroom. A basement level has a classroom and full -service kitchen. The church
'Reference "Comparative Analysis" in Additional Documentation section.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 7 Page 4
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
features an elevator and two fire stairs, one located at the northwest corner, connecting the first level and
basement, and another at the southeast corner, connecting the upper two levels and basement.
First floor entrance and assembly room
The church opens into a large double -height space with natural light from the oversized lancet windows
on the north and south exteriors (Photo 8). The entrance area reads as a single -height outline,
compressed by the private gallery and offices on the second level. A black tiled elevator is viewed upon
entering the main sanctuary space and located at the center of the east interior. The elevator provides
accessible circulation to the upper two levels and basement. The large fixed windows on the north and
south facades are articulated in three main sections, separated by thicker horizontal muntins. The two
identical center and bottom portions are articulated by 2x2 frames, and the top section forms an arched
dovetail following the Gothic pointed arch detail of the surrounding frame. The ceiling of the double-
heighted main sanctuary space is exposed with painted white rafters and wood ceiling. A circular air
conditioning vent runs along the center spine of the roofline to provide cooling to the interior space.
Wall lighting along the north and south facades, in addition to the ceiling lighting, provide illumination
at all times of the day. The smooth interior walls are painted white.
The interior of the church previously contained an altar located at the western end of the church with
wooden pews facing the altar. Currently, the elevated dais has been repurposed as a stage area for
performances and events. The general form with an articulated proscenium and elevated stage has
remained, following the form of the building's previous church functionality (Photo 9). Additional stage
lighting and a projector located at the upper east of the building provide ideal conditions for
performances. The flooring is a light grey tile. Behind the stage, an enclosed small kitchen provides
access to food services during events. The northwest stair allows access to the exterior through a door at
the north facade and to the lower basement level. The southwest stair allows access to both the private
second level and lower basement classroom and kitchens.
Second floor gallery and offices
The second floor mezzanine level in plan retains its historic integrity. A visible connection between the
second floor mezzanine and the open ground floor space is readily visible through a framed glass
enclosure (Photos 10-11). The simple form of the second level provides private meeting spaces and a
gallery overlooking the main gathering space. Enclosed with black frame fixed glass, the upper level is
air-conditioned with the singular exposed mechanical ventilation along the central spine of the main
sanctuary space. The roofline of the central open gallery space is flat and the flanking private office
spaces are angled to match the continued gabled roofline from the main sanctuary space. The drop
ceiling is punctuated by fluorescent lighting. Natural daylight and ambient electrical lighting from the
main sanctuary space enter the second level gallery and private offices from the west fixed glass
enclosure. A private restroom space exists at the northeast corner of the second level. The central portion
along the eastern section of the second level is occupied by the elevator clad with black tiles and a small
foyer. The southeast corner contains a fire stair connecting the upper two levels and basement.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 7 Page 5
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Basement classroom and kitchen
The basement level is organized into two main divisions, bifurcated by a central hallway. On the north
side, a classroom provides a private gathering space. The classroom has black and white vinyl square
tiles, drop ceiling panels, and smooth painted white walls. The hallway between the north classroom and
south kitchen retains the same black and white vinyl tiles as the classroom space. The south side
contains a catering kitchen (Photos 12-13). In this section of the basement, drop ceiling panels have been
retrofitted to allow full mechanical and electrical capabilities for a full -service kitchen. The flooring of
the kitchen is a painted concrete surface. The basement also houses two restroom facilities, elevator
access, and exit stairs located at the northwest and southeast corners.
ALTERATIONS
There have been changes to the original 1948 church building; however, the exterior and interior
arrangement of spaces retains integrity. The building is discernable as a church, retaining prominent
traditional religious forms with historically compatible replacements for windows, doors, and fixtures.
The interior renovation and adaptive reuse of the building in 2012 was a change to the original building,
but was necessary to prevent its continued deterioration and potential demolition by neglect.4 The
Ebenezer Methodist Church was abandoned for decades prior to the transfer of ownership to the
Southeast Overtown Park West Community Redevelopment Agency (SEOPW CRA) in 2010, which
adaptively reused the space as the Overtown Performing Arts Center. The interior alterations were
necessary to preserve the overall structural capability and functionality of the building as one of the last
extant church structures and the best remaining example of Gothic Revival church architecture in the
Overtown community. Without these necessary alterations and critical community capital investment, it
is likely the building would have been demolished due to abandonment and speculative redevelopment
prevalent in the Overtown neighborhood.
Exterior Alterations
Comparing the original 1948 structures based on historic photos (Figures 1, 2) demonstrates integrity
retained on the main east and north facades. Though the property has been adapted to a community and
performing arts center, the essential architectural and character -defining features remain intact. This
includes the exterior massing and openings, prominent east and north facades with buttress and lancet
windows, Late Gothic Revival cast concrete detailing, elevated entrance with tripartite configuration,
double -height interior sanctuary space pointing to proscenium and elevated altar, and organization of
private offices with lower basement classroom and operations.
4 See "Appendix B—interior photos prior to interior adaptive reuse construction, 2010" and "Appendix C-- 2012
Construction Documents for Renovation and Restoration, 2012."
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 7 Page 6
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Comparison of Historic Photo, View from northeast (Figure 1) and Current (Photo 3)
The 2012 Renovation Construction Documents, "Sheet A-1.3" for the Site Plan notes that the exterior
stairs were to be repaired and refinished, and the only addition to the exterior was the south alley, which
provided a new concrete ramp for ADA accessibility to the main assembly space at the building's
southwest corner and landscaped area (Figure 27, Photo 1). The 2012 Renovation Construction
Documents, "Sheet A-2.5" for the Main Level notes that new flood panels were added, new dark bronze
aluminum handrails were added to the main east facade entrance, and existing signage to be repaired in
order to comply with current building codes (Figure 30). These updates do not affect the overall
integrity of the exterior. The Mezzanine Level plans show the new mechanical systems added to the
west of the property, reflected in the new exterior ventilation grills added on the west (rear) facade
(Figure 31, Photo 7). The Roof Plan on "Sheet A-2.10," notes that parapets and walls to be pressure
cleaned and remain, stucco patched and repaired where necessary, existing 2x6 tongue and groove wood
roof decking to remain where in good structural condition, existing downspout and gutter system to
remain (Figure 32). The exterior roof material was replaced to meet the hurricane requirements of the
updated Florida Building Code.
After the Ebenezer Methodist Church and subsequent religious entities ceased to utilize the space, there
was intermittent ownership until the SEOPW CRA acquisition. Nearly all the historic doors and
windows were damaged and replaced over time. However, the original door and window openings
remain intact and historically compatible replacements were used. Notable are the lancet windows
typical of the Late Gothic Revival architecture style of South Florida. Similarly, all exterior doors were
replaced with historically compatible wood -clad metal and fire -rated security doors.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 7 Page 7
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Comparison of Historic Photo, East Facade (Figure 2) and Current (Photo 1)
Interior Alterations
Though original floor plans were not available for the building from the City of Miami, it appears to
retain much of its original floor plan and form based on available documentation from the City of Miami
and The Black Archives, located at the Lyric Theater addition in Overtown at 819 NW 2nd Avenue.5 The
photos prior to the building's adaptive reuse as the Overtown Performing Arts Center demonstrate the
organization of interior spaces remain intact though improvements to accessibility, current building
codes, and intensive structural repairs have impacted the integrity of the interior.
Due to the significant impacts of abandonment, the assembly room retains as much of the interior wood
trusses and ceiling as could be salvaged (Figures 19, 21; Photos 8, 9). These upgrades were necessary to
save the building from complete demolition (Figures 25, 26). The Main Level 2012 permit drawings,
"Sheet A-2.5," demonstrate the procession and arrangement of rooms remain, however an elevator was
added in order to allow accessibility to the basement and mezzanine levels (Figure 30) (Photo 14). The
organization and location of the elevated dais remains, however the seating along the west wall has been
removed and replaced with a beverage service room and storage for the structure to be habitable and
useful as a community and entertainment venue (Figure 24). New porcelain tile was added; however, the
original flooring was no longer available for reuse during the 2012 renovation based on photo
documentation (Figure 23). Historic floor coverings were lost during the building's discontinuous
periods of abandonment and have been replaced with new floor coverings.
Originally cooled by natural ventilation through the elevated first level and cross -ventilation of the north
and south windows, a central air conditioning system was added after the initial construction and
upgraded during the 2012 renovation (Figure 31). The church's interior was impacted by the installation
5 The Lyric Theater at 819 NW 211d Avenue was listed as part of the Downtown Miami MRA, 1988; NR Reference 88002965.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 7 Page 8
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
of the air-conditioning system and upgraded electrical system. The presence of the exposed ductwork in
the main sanctuary space connects to the second level gallery and private offices. The two -level expanse
of the assembly space remains and the interior -exterior connection of the large original arched window
openings at the north and south facades is consistent with the original integrity of the structure. No
historic light fixtures remain and were replaced during the renovation. Drop ceilings on sections of the
ground, second, and basement floors have been utilized to meet current operational and building code
demands.
The basement level has been adapted and reconfigured to provide usable space for the community.
Historically, classrooms and private meetings rooms were provided, and the northern community spaces
are utilized in a similar capacity (Figures 28, 29). The kitchen has been upgraded to provide a
community resource for job training and provide catering for the events at the Overtown Performing
Arts Center. Though the facilities have been upgraded to adhere to current building code requirements,
the basement continues as a resource for the Overtown community.
INTEGRITY
Ebenezer Methodist Church retains its integrity of location, setting, design, materials, workmanship,
feeling, and association. Located in the Overtown neighborhood, which has lost much of its historic
fabric due to urban renewal and abandonment beginning in the late-1960s, the building stands as one of
few remaining historic public buildings in Overtown constructed during the era of segregation. A
comparative analysis of the 1950 Sanborn Map to extant African American churches in the Overtown
Multiple Resource Area demonstrated that 28 churches, 72% of the total 39 churches, have since been
demolished (Figures 7, 8).
Due to its construction during segregation and subsequent abandonment through the integration of
Miami, the building endured a period of neglect. After the original congregation moved to Allapattah in
1973, the building was not maintained. The building fell into disrepair with no tenant, which severely
impacted the interior due to water intrusion and structural deterioration. The decision to adaptively reuse
the structure by the SEOPW CRA in 2012 as the Overtown Performing Arts Center not only saved the
exterior integrity at a critical time but preserved the legacy of the African American church in
Overtown. Once a dominant building typology within the community, today only 11 remain of the 39
churches identified in the 1950 Sanborn Map.
Although Ebenezer Methodist Church suffered from the loss of original features, the Overtown
community still utilizes the building as a neighborhood gathering space. The loss of original features and
integrity, particular on the building's interior, can be viewed as reflecting the wider disinvestment
common in Black community resources, during intense periods of segregation, urban renewal, and
displacement patterns upon desegregation policies. Evidence of the importance and recognition of the
Ebenezer Methodist Church can be seen in the SEOPW CRA's purchase, restoration, and continued
maintenance of the building.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 7 Page 9
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Despite these modifications, the building's exterior and interior looks much as it did when it was
originally constructed in 1948. It is clearly recognizable today as a church building and retains its
character -defining features, including the exterior massing and openings, prominent east and north
facades with buttress and lancet windows, Late Gothic Revival cast concrete detailing, elevated entrance
with tripartite configuration, double -height interior sanctuary space pointing to proscenium and elevated
altar, and organization of private offices with lower basement classroom and operations. Overall, the
modifications saved the church from total demolition. These changes have not affected the integrity of
the building to level of rendering it ineligible for listing.
Location and Setting
The church remains in its original location, with main frontage along NW 3rd Avenue, a major
commercial thoroughfare of historic Overtown.6 The surrounding historic setting and context of small-
scale commercial buildings along NW 3rd Avenue also reflects a high level of integrity, particularly the
two-story 1950s Moderne Office (1950) directly to the south and the two-story Dunns Josephine Hotel
(1938) two parcels to the south. The mainly two- and three-story mixed -use commercial structures and
surrounding character of the Overtown neighborhood along NW Third Avenue, is one of the few
thoroughfares that retain a similar physical environment to the period of significance. The building
maintains its impressive urban presence at a prominent corner intersection. The most notable change to
the setting has been the construction of Interstate 95, which runs less than a block away to the west
(rear) of the property. Much of the larger Overtown community has either been largely demolished or
significantly impacted by mid- to late-20th century urban renewal projects. These highly destructive
urban interventions were a common occurrence in African American communities across the country
during this period, especially those concentrated near urban centers of large cities. Due to these
circumstances and to the relative scarcity of extant historic resources within the Overtown area,
evaluation should holistically include the added historical layer of divestment and demolition during
these periods of urban renewal.
Design, Workmanship and Materials
The original exterior design of the Gothic Revival building remains largely intact. The proportion and
scale of the building have not been altered, and the door and window openings remain in their original
form and location. Renovation plans from 2012 obtained from the City of Miami indicate that the
property retains the general layout of the original structure (Exhibit C). Though the property has been
adapted to a community and performing arts center, the essential architectural and character -defining
features remain intact, including the exterior massing and openings, prominent east and north facades
with buttress and lancet windows, Late Gothic Revival cast concrete detailing, elevated entrance with
6 The importance of the NW 2nd and 3rd Avenue commercial thoroughfares to the Overtown community are referened in the
Overtown MPS in the following Associated Historic Contexts: The Birth of Miami and "Colored Town" Origins, 1896-1920,
"Little Broadway," 1920-1939, World War II and Post -War Years, 1939-1954, The Civil Rights Era and Integration, 1954-
1968 and Preservation Efforts, 1968 to present.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 7 Page 10
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
tripartite configuration, double -height interior sanctuary space pointing to proscenium and elevated altar,
and organization of private offices with lower basement classroom and operations. Comparing historic
images to current conditions, the two prominent east and north facades also retain its integrity.
The organization of the interior space with a double -height sanctuary space with proscenium, second
level gallery with private offices, and a basement with a classroom and service areas, remains intact. The
workmanship on the exterior, with the use of cast concrete ornamentation and detailing, indicates though
of limited means, the congregation had financial resources to employ skilled contractors. Most of the
historic exterior materials are intact. The replacement of windows and doors are historically compatible.
Multiple historic materials are still evident, including the concrete block, cast concrete detailing, poured
concrete stairs and entry vestibule, concrete foundation, roof wood deck structure where feasibly could
be salvaged during the 2012 renovation.
Feeling
Ebenezer Methodist Church continues to evoke the feeling of a prominent, significant place, particularly
for the formerly segregated Overtown neighborhood and the larger African American community in
Miami. The church and adjacent area are well -maintained and embody efforts of Overtown congregants
and residents that over the years ensured the integrity of the church's design. The building evokes strong
memories from Overtown community members. It was a place where they remember attending church
services and participating in the religious, social, political, and humanitarian efforts of the church. As a
center for Black community life, congregants and residents participated in religious and educational
services, attended meetings with neighbors and friends, and celebrated important life events.'
The building maintains a feeling that is reminiscent of the late 1940s, a boom period for the once -
thriving Overtown community. Through segregation policies and the scarcity of building materials, the
church and adjacent buildings are well maintained and embody the original physical appearance of the
church. Despite changes to the physical fabric over time, the sense of feeling remains as the importance
of the restoration was demonstrated in the significant financial investment by the SEOPW CRA to
adaptively reuse the building. Although some of the church's design, materials, and workmanship are
not completely original, the feeling of significance and importance within the Overtown community is
extant.
Association
Ebenezer Methodist Church retains its identity as a church building and as a place for community
gathering. The association of Ebenezer Methodist Church during the period of segregation of the
Overtown community demonstrates a source of pride for a neighborhood forced into a self-contained,
self-reliant existence. The leadership of the church has a strong association with community activists
The Overtown MPS lists "Churches" as an Associated Property Type.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 7 Page 11
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
and leaders Reverend W. O. Bartley and Reverend Aaron D. Hall. Both led the Ebenezer Methodist
Church through transformative transitions and guided important community -based religious, social, and
humanitarian initiatives for Ebenezer Methodist Church, Overtown community, and wider City of
Miami. Currently functioning as the Overtown Performing Arts Center, the building remains a
community center and a place for gathering, education, and celebration of important life events.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 12
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
SUMMARY
The Ebenezer Methodist Church is eligible for listing at the local level under Criterion A: Ethnic
Heritage: Black, and Social History and Criterion C: Architecture. The period of significance
extends from the building's date of construction in 1948 until 1971. Ebenezer Methodist Church housed
one of the oldest congregations in Overtown, founded in 1898 by four Miami pioneer families, which
became one of the most important congregations serving the religious, social, political, and humanitarian
needs for Overtown residents. Ebenezer Methodist Church stands as both a physical vestige of
segregation and a reminder of the accomplishments of Miami's Black community through self-reliance
and political activism during the Civil Rights movement.
The building is the best extant example of Gothic Revival church architecture in the Overtown
community and one of the last extant examples of church architecture in the Overtown community. The
building retains integrity for listing. The architectural significance of the Ebenezer Methodist Church
relates primarily to its typology, design, style, and method of construction. Though the property has
been adapted to a community and performing arts center, the essential architectural and character -
defining features remain intact, including the exterior massing and openings, prominent east and north
facades with buttress and lancet windows, Late Gothic Revival cast concrete detailing, elevated entrance
with tripartite configuration, double -height interior sanctuary space pointing to proscenium and elevated
altar, and organization of private offices with lower basement classroom and operations. The building's
interior spaces reflect architectural trends that were typical for the 20th century auditorium plan church,
with details including the proscenium type arch to emphasize the altar. The building represents the best
extant example of Gothic Revival style architectural principles to a small-scale urban church within the
Overtown Multiple Resource Area.
Although the modest materials and minimal decorative details were typical of 1940s South Florida
construction, particularly in this previously segregated area of Overtown, the building is socially
significant for the Church's role in the Miami's African American community, the Overtown
neighborhood, and for the importance of two community leaders, Reverend William Osborne (W. O.)
Bartley and Reverend Aaron Hall whose influence extended beyond the church's walls. Both were
respected as thought leaders, community activists, and humanitarian stewards within the wider Miami
community.
Due to the segregation of the Overtown neighborhood, churches functioned as multi -purpose religious,
social, and humanitarian centers for the African American community. The church served as a meeting
place during the Civil Rights Movement to host meetings, town halls, and national organization
conferences.
The Ebenezer Methodist Church contributes to the Historic and Architectural Properties of Overtown in
Miami, Florida (1896-1964) MPS under Associated Contexts "World War II and Post -War Years, 1939-
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 13
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
1954," "The Civil Rights Era and Integration, 1954-1968," "Preservation Efforts, 1968 to present," and
Associated Property Type "Churches."
HISTORIC CONTEXT
History of "The Methodist Church" in America
From its inception in the United States, the Methodist Church had a complicated history with issues of
segregation and racial tensions. During its first 100 years, local churches were segregated through the
use of distinct service times and often entirely separate locations. Even with the increase of Black
membership, segregated churches were still headed by white pastors since African Americans were not
allowed ordination in order to lead church services. Richard Allen (1760-1830), an emancipated
formerly enslaved person and Methodist preacher who had been mistreated because of his race, left the
Church and in 1816 organized the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). For similar reasons, the
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church began in 1821. After the Civil War, the Colored Methodist
Episcopal Church was founded. Both churches were competitors of the AME Church.8
Prior to the Civil War, there was a major rift between the northern and southern white churches over
slavery. In the 1840s, white southern Methodists split from the Methodist Episcopal Church over the
issue of slave ownership of clergy, forming the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Many enslaved
people were converted to Methodism during slavery. Particularly in Southern Methodism, religion was
another tool of oppression utilized by slaveowners to reinforce slavery.
The exploitation of slavery continued well after the Civil War ended. The northern Methodist Episcopal
Church (MEC) invested considerable resources in missionary efforts in the south after the war to both
educate and convert newly freed Black people. These converts soon formed into black congregations
that fell under the purview of the northern white -controlled MEC. In 1864, African American annual
conferences within the MEC were developed, which allowed for the ordination of Black people and
created the possibility for leadership roles within segregated conferences.9 These segregated conferences
continued particularly in the South through 1880. Treated as second-class citizens within the white
churches church before and after the Civil War, a clear pattern of disenfranchisement persisted.
Formerly enslaved Methodists broke away from the Methodist Episcopal Church, South to join black -
controlled churches such as the AME or separate congregations within the white -controlled churches.
Many of these Black congregations formed under segregated African American conferences within the
Methodist Episcopal Church, which emerged as a major competitor of the AME. In addition to the MEC
8 "End of the Central Jurisdiction," The United Methodist Church, http://gcah.org/history/central-jurisdiction. Online,
Accessed April 15, 2022.
9 In 1864, almost 100 years after the plea to John Wesley to send lay preachers, African American annual conferences were
developed, which allowed ordination for Blacks as well as a real degree of leadership.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 14
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
and AME, there was also the Colored Methodist Church (CME) and the African Methodist Episcopal
Church Zion (AMEZ) that competed for Black Methodists in the south.
In 1939, the MEC and the MECS merged to become the Methodist Church. At around this time, the
Methodist Church created the Central Jurisdiction, which formalized segregation within the white -
controlled church. The African American churches within Methodist Church renounced the Central
Jurisdiction. Many white conservative southern Methodist congregations disapproved of the merger,
however, and split to create the Southern Methodist Church in 1940. During this period, the Ebenezer
Methodist Church in Overtown was constructed.
Though Amendment IX of 1956 allowed a church or annual conference to transfer to a new jurisdiction
and conference, there was no definitive deadline for transfer. Four years later, the "Committee of Five"
of the Central Jurisdiction recommended transfer by 1968 with recommendations to keep the minority
group from being segregated again. The Central Jurisdiction disbanded in 1968, but segregated
conferences in the new denomination persisted. Finally, in 1972, the Commission on Religion and Race
worked to integrate and undo the segregationist policies of the Central Jurisdiction.'°
Founding of the Ebenezer Methodist Church in Overtown
The Ebenezer Methodist Church was originally founded as the "Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal Church"
in August 1898.11 It is one of the oldest churches in Miami, founded by four pioneer families who met to
organize the church for the African American residents of the Overtown community. The organizers
were: Reverend Davis; John Page, his wife Sara, and daughter Janie; J. M. Dingle, his wife Sallie,
daughter Lenora and six other small children; Charlie Taylor, his wife Georgia and daughter Rubie.12
The congregation built the original house at NW 9th Street and NW 3rd Avenue. In 1907, the
congregation was one of six active religious organizations serving Overtown. In 1948, the extant church
structure was built at NW loth Street and NW 3rd Avenue.13
Construction of the Ebenezer Methodist Church
The site of the present church building is the congregation's third home, which was constructed under
the pastorate of Reverend W. O. Bartley. The proceeding pastors to Reverend Bartley were Reverends
Davis, Hutchinson, Lawrence J. Littles, H. W. Bartley, N. A. Grimes, Albert Emanuel; W. P. Pickens,
N. R. Armstrong, L. C. Foster, W. P. Holmes and J. A. Simpson.14 Columnist Bea L. Hines remembered
to "End of the Central Jurisdiction," The United Methodist Church, http://gcah.org/history/central-jurisdiction. Online,
Accessed April 15, 2022.
11 "Ebenezer Methodist Church Potential Designation Report," City of Miami Historic Preservation Department, October
27, 1988, 4.
12 "About Us," Ebenezer United Methodist Church, Online.
13 "Ebenezer Methodist Church —National Register Nomination," 1989.
14 "Souvenir-- Celebrating Rev. William Osborne Bartley's Thirteenth Anniversary," Ebenezer Methodist Church, November
11-19,1946.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 15
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
at nine years old she "stood in the cold with about 100 other people as the cornerstone was laid for the
church that stands today,"15 In addition to its religious significance for a segregated population, the
Church was the center of many Overtown residents' educational and social foundation.
In City of Miami Directories, from 1925 to 1944 the property was known as "Ebenezer A M E Church,"
signaling a possible membership with the African Methodist Episcopal Church. By 1947, the property
was referenced as "Ebenezer Baptist Church," which is what it was known as when the current building
was constructed in 1948. Shortly after its construction, the name of the church was changed to
"Ebenezer Methodist Church" in 1949, and it was at this time that it likely rejoined the white -controlled
Methodist Church.16 Ebenezer was one of the few churches in Overtown that actively sought both Black
and white congregants. Only the St. John's Baptist Church (NR 1992) at 1328 NW 3rd Avenue in
Overtown openly advertised to the wider Miami community, regardless of segregation policies. Of note
and academically documented are the overt racist policies of the national Methodist Episcopal Church,
particularly in the American South, which controlled the religious organization.17
Church building began in 1947, but according to the cornerstone, the formal dedication of the church did
not take place until April 25, 1965.18 Beginning in 1964, the City Directory demonstrates the property
had a telephone, which was a novelty for the Overtown neighborhood, as the technology was not widely
available or a prioritized means of communication in the community during the early 20th century
(Figure 19).
Reverend William Osborne (W. O.) Bartley
In 1918, the annual South Florida Mission Methodist Church conference was held at the Ebenezer
Methodist Church (known then as the "Ebenezer M. E. Church").19 The conference was notable as it
united the former two districts of the mission conference under one superintendent, Reverend W. O.
Bartley. The responsibility of not only the Ebenezer Methodist Church, one of the most prominent
churches in Overtown, but also the South Florida Mission Methodist Church conference was tied to the
successful appointment of Reverend Bartley.20
Under the direction of Reverend Bartley, Ebenezer Methodist Church became known as the "Friendly
Church" where "crowds flocked to hear the ever -popular W. O. Bartley —membership grew to the
thousand —and a greater and better church became a necessity."21 Reverend Bartley was well respected
15 Hines, Bea L., "Somehow, Overtown will survive," The Miami Herald, January 2, 1983.
16 See Appendix A, City of Miami Directories, 1925 to 1969.
17 "Caucuses and Lay Involvement," The United Methodist Church, http://www.gcah.org/history/caucuses. Online, accessed
April 15, 2022.
'City of Miami, 6.
19 "Conference of M. E. Mission," The Miami Herald, February 4, 1918.
20 "Mission Conference," The Miami Herald, January 30, 1918.
21 Mrs. N. S. Powers, "Souvenir —Opening Services," Ebenezer Methodist Church, June 27, 1948.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 16
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
in both the African American and white communities of Miami. When the church began to raise funds to
build the new sanctuary, some of the "white city bus drivers sold small bags of parched peanuts for a
dime each, as a fundraiser to help build the new church."22
The building was the location of numerous South Florida conferences of the Methodist Episcopal
Church and elevated the status of the church to a level or regional religious importance. These
conferences were sources of pride for the Overtown community. In 1935, Bishop R. E. Jones of New
Orleans spoke at the church and was noted as the first African American bishop to preach in Miami.23
This was a huge honor, demonstrating the importance of the Ebenezer Methodist Church within the
South Florida community and beyond.
The twelfth annual session of the South Florida Conference, held in 1936 at the Ebenezer Methodist
Church, was conducted by Bishop F. T. Keeney of Atlanta, with assistance from N. E. Davis, F.W.
Mueller and N. J. Croly.24 During Reverend Bartley's tenure, special notes in the announcement of the
annual gatherings specified "seating arrangements for white visitors will be provided." The conference
announcement also indicated that Mary McLeod Bethune, president of Bethune Cookman College,
attended. Though there were over 39 churches within the Overtown community during the 1950s, the
Ebenezer Methodist Church endured as one of the most important sites for noteworthy events.
Under Reverend Bartley, important speakers were invited to educate and preach to the congregation and
wider community. In 1936, Dr. R. L. Merrill, former pastor of White Temple (located at 320 NW
Second Avenue) spoke, representative the resolve of white visitors to attend gatherings in segregated
Overtown.25 In 1939, Reverend Bartley was noted as receiving an award for fulfilling the national
Methodist goal entitled the "Million Unit Fellowship Movement."26 The Ebenezer Methodist Church
was one of "7 percent of the Methodist congregations in the United States to reach their goal" towards
member of 500,000 people subscribing to a $1 a month benefit for missions and benevolences. On a
national level, the church continued to exemplify the values of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
The 1946 event celebrating Reverend Bartley's Thirteenth Anniversary listed surviving pioneer
congregation members: Mrs. S. E. Thompson, Mrs. N. S. Powers, Mrs. G. L. Carey, Mrs. Savannah
Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Culmer, Mrs. Drucilla Sears, and Mr. William Curry.27
22 Hines, "Walking," 12NE.
23"New Orleans Bishop Here," The Miami Herald, January 29, 1935.
'"Church Meeting To Close Today," The Miami Herald, February 9, 1936.
25"Dr. Merrill To Speak," The Miami Herald, March 1, 1936.
26 "Methodist Congregations Have Subscribed To Million Unit Fellowship Movement," The Miami Herald, October 24,
1939.
27 Souvenir, 2.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 17
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Reverend Bartley left the church in 1950, causing a split between congregants loyal to him and those
with roots with the wider Ebenezer Methodist Church. The two pastors who followed Reverend Bartley
were noted as being unable to unite the congregation, until Reverend Hall arrived in 1955 and sustained
a 33-year tenure.
Reverend Bartley was a prominent figure in the wider Miami community as an advocate for prison
reform and was noted as guiding "more federal prisoners on parole or probation back to useful lives than
any other private citizen."28 Frank Edwards, Chief Probation Officer for the Miami Federal Court,
credits his kind and understanding counseling for the successful parole of twenty men and women on
parole over a span of thirteen years. Reverend Bartley guided more probationers into useful citizenship
that any other aide on Miami's federal volunteer call list.29
After 51 years of preaching, Reverend Bartley retired but continued to campaign on behalf of the
Methodist Episcopal Church and volunteered as a parole counselor. His impact was widely regarded
beyond the church and upon his passing in 1952, the family stated in a newspaper ad, "...due to the fact
that there were so many messages sent, it is impossible to thank everyone individually."30 A strong
community leader, his influence on the Overtown community strengthened the significance and
importance of the Ebenezer Methodist Church.
Congregants and Integration of the United Methodist Church
Under Reverend Bartley, both the black and white communities were welcomed and encouraged to
attend services, meetings, and events. 31 On April 23, 1968, the national United Methodist Church was
created when Bishop Reuben H. Mueller, representing the Evangelical United Brethren Church and
Bishop Lloyd C. Wicke of the Methodist Church, joined hands at the Constituting General Conference
in Dallas, Texas, affirming, "Lord of the Church, we are united in Thee, in Thy Church and now in the
United Methodist Church". That same year, the racially segregated structure for African American
Methodists, the Central Jurisdiction (1939-1968), was dissolved.
Ebenezer Methodist Church welcomed both black and white members in the 1940s and 1950s.32 This
was rare at the time, and only the Saint John's Baptist Church (NR 1992) at 1328 NW Third Ave, is
noted to have integrated worship services. Annual religious festivities lifted the entire neighborhood;
"... and the churches —there were churches of nearly every denomination... and it was where Easter
parades were as commonplace on NW Second Avenue as they were on New York's Fifth Avenue."33
The churches of Overtown functioned as the community's religious, social, political, and humanitarian
28 "Retired Negro Minister Guides Paroled Prisoners," The Miami Herald, January 21, 1951.
29 "Community Asset," The Miami Herald, January 23, 1951.
3° "Card of Thanks," The Miami Herald, December 15, 1952.
31 Hines, Bea L., "Walking Great -Grandchildren Awakens Memories," The Miami Herald, August 25, 2016.
32 "Saint John's Baptist Celebrates 75 Years," The Miami Herald, June 25, 1981.
33 "Hines, "Somehow," 6E.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 18
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
center. Self-sufficiency and the interconnectedness between church, fraternal, and civic affiliations was
a common foundation for many Overtown residents. As one of the largest and most well -endowed of the
Overtown churches, the Ebenezer Methodist Church counted many influential community members as
its congregants. Prominent community members and notable proprietor -owned businesses congratulated
the significant event including notably The Miami Times, Miami's African American -owned newspaper;
Kelsey Pharr, Miami's first African American funeral home proprietor; and the Mary Elizabeth Hotel,
one of Overtown's premier hotels which hosted notable African -American figures such as W.E.B.
Dubois, Zora Neale Hurston and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, among others.
The present church building possesses historical associations with an important congregation, which
served more than the religious and humanitarian needs for Overtown residents. The church building was
used as a social hall for a variety of functions with benefited all the Overtown community. In addition
to Sunday services, the church had an active choir, church school, building committee, women's society
of Christian service, and annual festivities.
The church also frequently hosted national conferences, celebrations, and significant religious meetings.
In 1954, the church hosted the United Nations Day, with speaker George K. Smart, professor of English
at the University of Miami.34 The basement was frequently utilized for community meetings. The James
E. Scott Association was noted to meet in the basement during the UN Day celebrations of 1954.35 In
1957, the church hosted the Central Jurisdiction (Negro) Woman's Society of Christian Service (WSCS)
of the Methodist Church for its 14th annual national convention.36 Speakers included Mrs. Howard V.
Weems, president of the Florida Conference, Dr. J. W. E. Bowen, presiding bishop of the Atlantic Coast
area; Bishop M. W. Clair, of St. Louis; and Dr. S. L. Allen, editor of the Christian Advocate. In 1961,
the church hosted 200 representatives during a choir concert as part of the convention of the South
Florida and Bahamian churches during the annual Sunday School Congress of the Atlantic Coast Baptist
Association.37 In 1957, the church hosted the Bethune-Cookman College Concert Corale, with Thomas
Demps conducting.38
In 1964, Dade County's Urban Renewal Agency held information sessions for community engagement
at the church.39 These meetings began the relocation of over 2,000 families as the North -South
Expressway (I-95) began the urban renewal and construction process. In 1965, the church participated in
a week-long series of events commemorating the loth anniversary of the death of Dr. Mary Jane McLeod
Bethune, founder of Bethune-Cookman college.40 A prominent church leader and educator, she was a
34 "Church Plans UN Observance," The Miami Herald, October 21, 1954.
35 "Notice —Oct. 24," The Miami Herald, October 17, 1954.
36 "Women's Convention Scheduled," The Miami Herald, February 2, 1957.
37 "Baptists Meet Here," The Miami Herald, July 12, 1961.
38 "College Chorus Slated Sunday," The Miami Herald, January 12, 1957.
39 "Dade URA Schedules Meetings," The Miami Herald, July 6, 1964.
40 "Churches To Honor Educator," The Miami Herald, May 10, 1965.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 19
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
frequent guest at the Ebenezer Methodist Church. In 1970, the church was one of 25,000 national
religious communities, which celebrate the World Day of Prayer.41 Sponsored by the Church Women
United of Greater Miami, the Ebenezer Methodist Church provided an annual venue for Overtown
residents to connect with the international religious community.42
During the mid-1950s and 1960s, Overtown churches such as Ebenezer Methodist Church were the sites
of Sunday Forums sponsored by the King of Clubs, a pioneer organization of Black professionals. The
forums, which presented some of the best-known orators including Dr. Martin Luther King, often had
standing -room -only crowds. Many prominent local civil rights activists of the time included Father John
E. Culmer of Saint Agnes Episcopal Church, Revered Edward T. Graham of Mt. Zion Baptist Church,
Dr. John O. Brown, and Mary Athalie Range. Ebenezer Methodist Church was a frequent host of these
activist gatherings and remains one of the last extant buildings to have served as these important venues
for Civil Rights advancement. As one of the physically largest in scale and socially prominent churches
in Overtown, the congregants were also influential members of the local business and professional
leaders, including pioneer congregation members: Mrs. S. E. Thompson, Mrs. N. S. Powers, Mrs. G. L.
Carey, Mrs. Savannah Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Culmer, Mrs. Drucilla Sears, and Mr. William
Curry.43 Prominent community members and notable proprietor -owned businesses congratulated the
significant event including notably The Miami Times, Miami's African American -owned newspaper;
Kelsey Pharr, Miami's first African American funeral home proprietor; and the Mary Elizabeth Hotel,
one of Overtown's premier hotels which hosted notable African -American figures such as W.E.B.
Dubois, Zora Neale Hurston and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, among others.
The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) led the first demonstrations against segregated lunch counters
during the organization's 1959 National Convention held at the Sir John Hotel in Overtown.
Subsequently, the Miami CORE chapter led lunch counter sit-ins and invited notable civil rights leader
Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth to speak at the Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church to a crowd of over six
hundred people. As a close associate to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he preached the use of nonviolence
as a means of combatting racial segregation. During a mass meeting at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, citizens
agreed to boycott downtown stores due to the continued resistance by private businesses and the Miami
police department to enforce integration. Finally on August 1, 1960, three pairs of CORE members were
served lunch at the counters of the W. T. Grant, F. W. Woolworth, and S. H. Kress department stores.
The agreement was the first in Florida to remove racial barriers at lunch counters. Congregants of
Ebenezer Methodist Church and Reverend Bartley supported and were active participants in CORE,
which utilized the church basement facilities.
41 "Miamians Join World In Prayer," The Miami Herald, February 28, 1970.
42 "Prayer Day Friday," The Miami Herald, February 27, 1971.
43 Souvenir, 2.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 20
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Through the 1960s, the self-reliant Overtown neighborhood was known as tight -knit, safe community
where "children played jacks and hopscotch in the street" and as a "vibrant community where Black
doctors, lawyers, and dress makers owned their own businesses."44 Key institutions such as the Booker
T. Washington High School and the churches, such as the Ebenezer Methodist Church, helped reinforce
strong bonds among residents and congregants. Thriving commerce, entertainment venues, hotels and
public events created unity and solidarity and self-reliance. However, African Americans were still
banned from utilizing public parks and facilities, schools were segregated, and jobs were restricted.
Groceries, cleaners, beauty salons, drug stores, and other service establishments continued to thrive
along NW 14th Street, NW 20th Street, and the two major commercial corridors of Northwest 2nd and
3rd Avenues. Located on Northwest 3rd Avenue, the Ebenezer Methodist Church was not only a physical
center for the community, but the congregation's importance as a supporter and advocate for the Civil
Rights movement helped advance the objectives of activists.
Reverend Aaron D. Hall
Reverend Aaron D. Hall was pastor of the Ebenezer Methodist Church for 33 years, from 1955 to
1988.45 Preaching since the age of five, he came to Miami in 1955 as the district superintendent of the
Florida Conference Central Jurisdiction. As district superintendent, he was responsible for all African
American United Methodist churches from Orlando to Key West.46 Ebenezer Methodist Church was a
flagship congregation of the Florida Conference Central Jurisdiction and prominent post for Reverend
Hall.
He was credited with bringing life back to the congregation upon the departure of Reverend Bartley in
1950 and a period of sporadic leadership. Congregant Dorothy Evans, a member all of her life, noted
him as a "ray of hope" and others remarked how his old-time gospel style of preaching brought many
back to the church. Upon his retirement, he noted that when he came to Ebenezer there was an "active
membership of 175. Today the membership is 1,045."
Reverend Hall led the congregation through the tumultuous periods of integration in the 1960s, when
many churches lost members at the hands of urban renewal in Overtown with the construction of
Interstate 95. Just a couple of blocks from the new expressways, the influence of the Ebenezer Methodist
Church congregants and respect of the institution within the community assisted in the saving of the
building during the Florida Department of Transportation's planning stages. In 1968, the national United
Methodist organization integrated, which led to the most significant change for the church on a national
level, particularly the southern white churches who were staunch supporters of segregationist policies
beyond the end of the Civil War. Reverend Hall succinctly stated the nuanced and opposing viewpoints
on the groundbreaking policy:
44"A Halt on History," The Miami Herald, September 18, 1994.
4s "Minister To Leave Legacy of Success," The Miami Herald, June 23, 1988.
46 In 1968, the Central Jurisdiction dissolved.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 21
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Some blacks felt we would lose our positions and our cultural identity, while
some whites simply did not want to integrate. Period. They weren't afraid of
losing their positions. They were in the majority and could out -vote us any day.
It sure was kind of touchy, back then.47
Though these decisions were legally mandated by federal policy, the complicated history of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, particularly the role of black -controlled churches in the south were
hardwired for the Ebenezer Methodist Church congregants. In 1973, the congregation moved to the
Allapattah United Methodist Church at 2001 NW 35th Street largely in part to the mounting pressures of
urban renewal and the abandonment of Overtown in favor of more suburban environments. Reverend
Hall noted at the time, "Although the majority had no problem with moving, some others wanted to stay
in Overtown for sentimental reasons." Similar to his predecessor Reverend Bartley, he was noted as a
spiritual leader for the Ebenezer Methodist Church and the community writ large. Reverend Bartley
positively affected numerous lives beyond the Overtown neighborhood and in turn the continued
importance of the church as one of the most prominent community assets reinforced the religious and
social significance through the Civil Rights movement.
ADDITIONAL HISTORIC CONTEXT
Fellowship Baptist Church and the Riots of the 1980s
The legacy of the Ebenezer Methodist Church as a critical political force for the Overtown community
continued through the 1980s riots. Though past efforts to organize and protect the civil rights and social
welfare of the Overtown neighborhood was successful, community organization through the church and
other social societies continued. Representation in government and all sectors of city services became a
primary concern for the neighborhood. The building was host to numerous community meetings and
political activist organizations.
Almost a decade after the McDuffie riots in Liberty City in 1980 brought national attention to the Miami
Police Depailuient, on January 16, 1989, a full-scale riot broke out in Overtown upon the killing of
Clement Lloyd Anthony and Allan Blanchard. Miami police officer William Lozano fatally wounded
Anthony on his motorcycle that subsequently struck and killed Blanchard, who was approaching in an
oncoming car. The senseless killing ignited riots that spread from Overtown to Liberty City and Coconut
Grove, resulting in one death, eleven injuries, and nearly four hundred arrests. Thirteen buildings were
burned with an estimated $1 million in damages. During the race riots of the 1980s, the significance of
the church was demonstrated as neighboring structures along the Northwest 3rd Avenue commercial
corridor endured significant damage and looting, but the Ebenezer Methodist Church was left
untouched.
47Ibid.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 22
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
In 1981, after the relocation of the Ebenezer Methodist Church congregation to Allapattah, the building
was utilized by the Fellowship Baptist Church. They were noted to host the Christian Leadership
Conference in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King.48 The church utilized the building as a soup kitchen site
in the basement, which provided warm clothes and blankets donated to the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference (SCLC).49 In the 1980s, the building functioned as the headquarters of political
activist Raymond Fauntroy, organizer of the SCLC. His brother, U.S. Representative Walter Fauntroy
was chairman of the Congressional Black Congress and utilized his political capital to raise funds for the
local NAACP to support Overtown social and humanitarian initiatives. It was reported that over 300
people showed up during the holidays for the food program at the church during his residence.5°
Relocation of the Congregation and Adaptive Reuse
In June 1973, under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Aaron D. Hall, Sr., the membership moved to 2001 N. W.
35th Street. This move enabled three separate congregations to hold their services under one roof: The
Allapattah Congregation, The Allapattah Hispanic Congregation, and The Ebenezer Congregation.
Though the church moved to Allapattah in 1973, many of the original church pioneers remained with the
congregation. The 113th anniversary celebrations of the church in 2011 included members aged 70 and
older who were baptized at the Overtown church as infants and were still actively attending.51
In 1988, the Ebenezer Methodist Church, then known as The House of God of Nazarene Church, was
nominated to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Miami Downtown
Multiple Resource Area.52 Though the nomination was unsuccessful, mainly due to its date of
construction outside the noted period of significance and under the 50 year threshold at the time, the
proposed Overtown Multiple Property Listing provides specific architectural and social significance of
the Overtown community in the wider development of the City of Miami.
From 2012 to 2015, the building was converted to the Overtown Performing Arts Center (OPAC) by the
SEOPW CRA.53 The church was repurposed into a versatile hub for community events, meetings, and
social functions. Working with local partners, such as People United to Lead the Struggle for Equality
(P.U.L.S.E.) and the Miami Dade College, OPAC remains true to its history as a gathering place for
manifold neighborhood and community uses.
48 "A Tribute," The Miami Herald, January 11, 1981.
49 "Vereen Steps Into Town To Benefit Black Causes," The Miami Herald, May 6, 1981.
s° "Overtown Bean Kitchen Can't Afford More Beans," The Miami Herald, January 7, 1982.
51 "Church's Anniversary Brings Back Memories," The Miami Herald, August 18, 2011.
52 "Historic Decisions," The Miami Herald, October 27, 1988.
53 Pierre, Jeffrey, "Renovation Begins For New Community Center," February 15, 2015.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 23
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE
Historic Significance as Laid Out in the MPS
The Ebenezer Methodist Church meets the requirements identified in the proposed Multiple Property
Listing, "Historic and Architectural Properties of Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)" for
Criterion A and C.
For Criteria A, the Church meets three requirements:
• Five years use by an African American congregation prior to 1964,
• Site of an important event prior to 1964, particularly relating to community organizing, and
• Association with a congregation dating back to the City of Miami's founding in 1896.
Due to the institutional importance of churches in the development of Overtown's history and the
particular role churches played in the religious, social, political, and humanitarian efforts during the era
of segregation in Miami, the Ebenezer Methodist Church is eligible under National Register Criterion A.
The church is significant under the theme of Ethnic Heritage —Black and Social History.
In order to meet Criterion A, the essential physical attribute a church must possess is the continued
ability of its form and massing to communicate that it is a church. Though the property has been adapted
to a community and performing arts center, the essential architectural and character -defining features
remain intact, including the exterior massing and openings, prominent east and north facades with
buttress and lancet windows, Gothic Revival styled cast concrete detailing, elevated entrance with
tripartite configuration, double -height interior sanctuary space pointing to proscenium and elevated altar,
and organization of private offices with lower basement classroom and operations. While additions and
changes are acceptable, the size and scale of the original church is easily read, particularly within the
low -density mixed -use setting of the commercial corridor of NW 3rd Avenue.
Church was the core institution in Overtown from its early pioneers. As soon as temporary housing was
built in the woods surrounding Biscayne Bay, the community established their own churches. African
American residents of Overtown were prohibited from attending services at white churches. In 1907, six
active religious organizations served the community, including the Ebenezer Methodist Church.54 By
1950 Sanborn Map, 39 churches existed and today only 11 churches are extant.
Overtown was a tight -knit neighborhood where neighbors raised each other's children and looked out
for one another. Everyone was rooted in the success of the community as a whole and worked together
to promote excellence. Beyond religious and humanitarian gatherings, church buildings also functioned
as social and political halls, which further benefited the community. The tradition of congregants
'Ebenezer Methodist Church in Overtown was founded in 1898. The City of Miami was incorporated two years prior in
1896.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 24
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
dressing fashionably for church and addressing one another as "sister" or "brother" offered dignity and
recognition to one another.
The Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church (DA2367) at 245 NW 8th Street, which houses the oldest Black
congregation in Miami, originally organized in March 1896, several months prior to the incorporation of
the City of Miami (Figure 10). The Mt. Zion Baptist Church (DA2359) at 301 NW 9th Street is also one
of the oldest and most prominent African American congregations in South Florida, founded in 1896
(Figure 9). Under the pastorate of Reverend J. R. Evans, which he assumed in 1918, the enrollment of
Mt. Zion Baptist Church exceeded 1,400 parishioners. The Ebenezer Methodist Church followed shortly
after and was founded by four Miami pioneer families in 1898. The St. John's Baptist Church (DA5127)
at 1238 NW 3rd Avenue also serves as the home of one of the oldest Black congregations in Miami,
organized in 1906. Church leaders continued to lead social and humanitarian programs to benefit the
community (Figure 11).
Due to the role church congregations played in African American communities, many Overtown
churches qualify through their historical importance. African American churches developed as
enormously influential institutions within their communities, providing a setting for social, cultural,
educational, and political activity. Worship and religious instruction provided the only legal means of
coming together as a community when public assembly was forbidden during the era of segregation.
Churches served not only as cornerstones of the Overtown community, but as a gathering place for the
prominent incorporators of the city charter in 1896. Through the mid -twentieth century, civil rights
activism began in church forums, including the Ebenezer Methodist Church, and continued civic
leadership for African American representation endures to the contemporary era.
Scholarship has long acknowledged the importance of churches to African American history and culture.
In the development of South Florida, the churches of Overtown play a particularly vital role. As August
Meier wrote:
Both church and fraternity were especially important in the Negro community, far more so than in the White
community in nineteenth century America. It was in the church and fraternity that Negroes found unhampered
opportunity for social life and for the exercise of leadership. A high proportion of distinguished Negro leaders have
been ministers.55
CRITERION A: Ethnic Heritage Black and Social History
The Ebenezer Methodist Church is the best surviving resource associated with the Ebenezer MEC,
which was one of the most prominent congregations operating in the historic African American
community of Overtown during the 20th century. During the era of segregation, the Ebenezer Methodist
55 August Meier, Negro Thought in America, 15.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 25
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Church was particularly active within the larger social life of Overtown. The congregation had a long
history of involvement in community outreach activities such as running soup kitchens, hosting the
Women's Society of Christian Service, which led humanitarian fundraising for the community, and
participating in festivities such as the annual Easter parade along NW 2nd Avenue. The Rev. William O.
Bartley, who was a longtime pastor of Ebenezer, was heavily involved in larger community issues such
as prison reform, successfully advocating for local reforms in the parole system to help the transition of
former inmates to society. Prominent community members and notable proprietor -owned businesses
were continuously involved in the church, including The Miami Times, Miami's African American -
owned newspaper; Kelsey Pharr, Miami's first African American funeral home proprietor; and the Mary
Elizabeth Hotel, one of Overtown's premier hotels.
The congregation was also active in the local civil rights movement, as the church building hosted a
number of important public gatherings, including meetings for the James E. Scott Association, CORE
(Congress of Racial Equality) which led nonviolent protests at lunch counters and through sit-ins, and
the National Conferences for United Nations Day. The church also hosted nationally known speakers
including Mary McLeod Bethune, Martin Luther King, Jr., and notable local religious figures such as
Father John E. Culmer of Saint Agnes Episcopal Church, Revered Edward T. Graham of Mt. Zion
Baptist Church, Dr. John O. Brown, and Mary Athalie Range. Church members of Ebenezer were active
in the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). The building continued to function as a center of
community activism after the period of significance. It was the headquarters of political activist
Raymond Fauntroy, organizer of the SCLC. He utilized his political connections through his brother
U.S. Representative Walter Fauntroy to raise funds for the local NAACP to support Overtown social and
humanitarian initiatives, including soup kitchens and aid for the homeless. Dade County's Urban
Renewal Agency held information sessions for community engagement at the church and the Florida
Department of Transportation's planning stages for the 1970s construction of the expressways.
The Ebenezer Methodist Church remains as one of just eleven extant African American Overtown
churches (Figure 8). The 1950 Sanborn Map demonstrated previously 39 existed, with 28 demolished
since then (Figure 7). The church hosted religious events and conferences significant on a federal, state,
and local stage, particularly as the Methodist Episcopal Church in America integrated after the Civil
Rights Act with the 1968 dissolution of the Central Jurisdiction. Ebenezer Methodist Church retains
local significance with the association of influential leaders Reverend W. O. Bartley and Reverend
Aaron Hall, significance as a site for the South Florida Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
as a venue for national speakers, the importance of pioneer families and stature of congregants within
the Overtown community and wider City of Miami, as the neighborhood center for humanitarian causes
and community outreach, and as an educational and political venue for national civil rights activism.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 26
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
The Ebenezer Methodist Church building hosted numerous South Florida conferences of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, which elevated the status of the church to a level of regional religious importance. It
was one of the top national churches in the "Million Unit Fellowship Movement" to increase
membership.56 The building hosted the Central Jurisdiction (Negro) Woman's Society of Christian
Service (WSCS) of the Methodist Church, with speakers including Mrs. Howard V. Weems, president of
the Florida Conference; Dr. J. W. E. Bowen, presiding bishop of the Atlantic Coast area; Bishop M. W.
Clair, of St. Louis; and Dr. S. L. Allen, editor of the Christian Advocate.57
ARCHITECTURAL CONTEXT
Since the late 19th century, there have been many stylistic developments in American architecture. The
buildings, designed until the middle of the 20th century, included several versions of academic revival,
among them the Gothic Revival style. The popularity of the Gothic Revival style church is credited to
the works of Ralph Adams Cram (1863-1942) and Bertram Goodhue (1869-1924).58 The Ebenezer
Methodist Church building is a large two-story with a basement masonry structure executed in a
twentieth century adaptation of the Gothic Revival style of architecture, a popular design expression in
American religious buildings. The appearance of the building is additionally significant since few
buildings in Overtown retain the amount of original architectural detailing and presence of a full
prominent corner block. The excellence of the building's design and detailed articulation is particularly
evident in the composition of the principal east elevation along NW 3rd Avenue.
The organization of the interior space into multiple levels is one of the oldest traditions employed by
African American builders. Erected in 1805, the African American Meeting House in Boston,
Massachusetts, is the oldest surviving African American religious structure in the United States.59 Since
it's opening, the building served as a multifunctional center that hosted religious services on the upper
level. The first school for Black children and domestic quarters were housed on the building's ground
floors. The tradition, initiated by pioneering congregations like Boston's African American meeting
house, extended over time and space and is reflected in several Florida African American churches.
In the late 19th century, many congregations that were located in urban areas faced the difficulty of
accommodating large number of worshipers. The high cost of urban property limited the size of
buildings; therefore, architects and builders adopted theater and auditorium seating plans for church
construction. The focus of the worship was on the minister and pulpit; the smaller buildings combined
the sanctuary above the rectangular, raised basement.
56 "A Tribute," The Miami Herald, January 11, 1981.
57 "Women's Convention Scheduled," The Miami Herald, February 2, 1957.
58 Tallmadge, "The Modern Church Auditorium," 208.
59 Boston and Us, "African Meeting House - Boston African American National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)."
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 27
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Early Overtown Church Architecture
The building is an excellent example of the application of principles of Late Gothic Revival style to a
small-scale urban church. Although typical of the 1940s construction in South Florida, particularly in
African American communities, the use of modest materials with minimal decorative details retains its
architectural significance. Though the property has been adapted to a community and performing arts
center, the essential architectural and character -defining features remain intact, including the exterior
massing and openings, prominent east and north facades with buttress and lancet windows, Gothic
Revival cast concrete detailing, elevated entrance with tripartite configuration, double -height interior
sanctuary space pointing to proscenium and elevated altar, and organization of private offices with lower
basement classroom and operations.
Despite the overarching importance of associative attributes, churches can also be nominated under
Criterion C for their physical attributes. In the case of the Ebenezer Methodist Church, the Gothic
Revival architectural style, with original details are still visible and intact. Under Criterion C, the
building meets the integrity requirements of its location, setting, design, materials, workmanship,
feeling, and association. The building remains in its original location, surrounded by its historic setting
of low -scale, mixed -use commercial structures along the prominent commercial corridor of NW 3rd
Avenue. The structure maintains a feeling of the late-1940s when scarcity of construction materials and
South Florida design techniques prompted the efficient use of resources and workmanship within the
Overtown community.
Church buildings were primarily constructed for religious worship, however the structures also housed
the multifaceted functions of educational, civic, and political activities within their walls. In the case of
the Ebenezer Methodist Church, the building served the educational requirements of schoolchildren on
Sundays, provided a forum of political activism, and become the background for community
fundraising. The versatility of Overtown's churches and the continued use of the buildings as
community centers are of primary consideration and importance.
Although modifications were made to the interior of the Ebenezer Methodist Church over time to be
adaptively reused, the building's exterior and interior looks much as it did when it was originally
constructed in 1948 and retains its location, setting, design, materials, workmanship, feeling, and
association. The interior alterations were necessary to preserve the overall structural capability and
functionality of the building as one of the last extant church structures in the Overtown community and
the best extant Gothic Revival Church. Without the alterations, it is likely the building would have been
demolished due to abandonment and speculative redevelopment common in the Overtown
neighborhood.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 28
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
The architectural significance of Ebenezer Methodist Church relates primarily to its typology, style,
design, and method of construction within the South Florida context. The building is the best extant
example of the application of principles of the Late Gothic Revival style to a small-scale urban church
surviving in Overtown. Although typical of the 1940s construction with the use of modest materials and
minimal decorative details, the two-story church is significant.
The building retains character -defining features and decorative elements including Gothic Revival
architectural styling, with the recessed entrance and tripartite arrangement of lancet windows, flanking
square towers, series of gable roofs, and decorative cast stone ornamentation. The building remains in its
original location, surrounded by its historic setting of low -scale commercial buildings. The painted
stucco building maintains a feeling of the mid-1940s, when the scarcity of construction materials did not
stop the creativity of local masters and Overtown's African American congregants. The building's
original exterior design is intact, and alterations do not compromise the interior's design. The building
stands as evidence of the excellent craftsmanship of Overtown's builders. There have been minor
changes to the original church building in order to maintain the functionality of the space.
The building's articulation, particularly the lancet framing of the windows across the main elevation is
illustrative of Gothic Revival architecture in South Florida. Built with limited funds of the congregation
and by the same hands that erected many of the outstanding structures that form a distinctive part of
Miami's architectural history. The building's architectural merit lies in its symbolic representation of a
community and the importance of the church as a social, religious, and political center for the
community. The church is one of the best extant example of Overtown's Gothic Revival churches and
serves as a reminder of the importance of these religious community spaces to inform the political,
social, and philanthropic self-reliance of the previously segregated Overtown neighborhood.
Although the building no longer functions as a church, the interior spaces have been repurposed for
community events, gatherings, and performances. Historically, the Ebenezer Methodist Church was one
of the most important congregations in Overtown, serving the religious and humanitarian needs of its
residents. Since it's founding, the church was utilized as a social hall, similar to the function the building
continues to employ today.
Rarity of extant Overtown African American churches
A comparative analysis of the 1950 Sanborn Maps of the Overtown Multiple Resource Area (bounded
by 20th Street in the north, 5th Street in the south, 1st Avenue in the east and 6th Avenue in west) to
today's extant properties demonstrates the rarity of extant African American churches (Figure 7). Eleven
extant churches present in the Multiple Resource Area, represents a low 18% survival rate of the thirty-
nine total churches identified (Figure 8). The 28 that are no longer extant represents over 72% of
Overtown African American churches that have been demolished since 1950. Ebenezer Methodist
Church is the best surviving Gothic Revival Church, and a contemporary of the extant St. Agnes
Episcopal Church (Figure 12).
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 29
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
There are three extant churches currently listed in the National Register: Mt. Zion Baptist Church
(DA2359) at 201 NW 9th Street (Figure 9); Greater Bethel AME Church (DA2367) at 245 NW 8th Street
(Figure 10); and St. John's Baptist Church (DA5127) at 1238 NW 3rd Avenue (Figure 11). Based on the
geospatial analysis comparing the listed and non -listed National Register extant churches, all the
National Register -listed churches are south of the 395 expressway, with the non -listed churches to the
north of the 395 expressway (Figure 8). There are seven extant churches not currently listed on the
National Register which may be eligible as part of the Overtown Multiple Resource Area upon more
research: St. Agnes' Episcopal Church at 1750 NW 3rd Avenue (Figure 12), St. Francis Xavier Church
at 1698 NW 4th Avenue (Figure 13), Mt. Olivette Baptist Church at 1450 NW 1st Court (Figure 14),
Church of God in Christ at 1747 NW 3rd Avenue (Figure 15), Greater Israel Bethel Primitive Baptist
Church at 160 NW 18th Street (Figure 16), Triumph The Church and Kingdom of God in Christ at 1750
NW 1st Court (Figure 17), and St. Peter's Antiochian Orthodox Catholic Church at 1811 NW 4th Court
(Figure 18).
Comparative Stylistic Analysis to National Register listed Overtown churches
Though similar in their urban street presence and simple interior layouts, three other churches listed in
the National Register within the Overtown community, the Mt. Zion Baptist Church (Figure 9), the
Greater Bethel AME Church (Figure 10), and St. John's Baptist Church (Figure 11), provide distinctive
architectural features and similar levels of craftsmanship, design, and integrity.60 Ebenezer Methodist
Church is the best surviving Gothic Revival church in the Overtown Multiple Resource Area, even
compared to contemporary St. Agnes Episcopal Church (Figure 12).
The Mt. Zion Baptist Church is one of the few extant Mediterranean Revival style churches in Overtown
(Figure 9). Home to one of the oldest and most prominent black congregations, founded in 1896, the
visual composition of the building is noteworthy for its scale as an anchor corner landmark of the
Overtown neighborhood and its architectural detailing provides significance in the context of the
generally more humble Overtown historic resources. The stucco building, detailed with Mediterranean
Revival character -defining features, including a square corner tower, pyramidal hipped roof, entrance
portico with quatrefoil windows and Tuscan columns, masonry and quoins, are similar to the high -
quality design of the Ebenezer Methodist Church, and also simple in plan with a large ground floor
auditorium with upper story sanctuary and privatized spaces.
The Greater Bethel AME Church, along with the Mt. Zion Baptist Church, is one of the few extant
Mediterranean Revival style churches in Overtown. Designed by architect John Sculthorpe, the
rectangular, two-story Mediterranean Revival style building is clad in stucco. Similar to the Ebenezer
Methodist Church and the two other National Register listed Overtown churches, the simple form of the
building unique due to the detail and styling of the facades on relatively limited urban infill lots. The
60 Reference "Comparative Analysis" in Additional Documentation section.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 8 Page 30
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
principal south elevation features stylized quatrefoil windows set in the gable and comer pilasters topped
with finials. Projecting symmetrical square towers, embellished with cast masonry cornices of stylized
arches, flank the shed roof and second floor entrance to the sanctuary. Similar to the Ebenezer Methodist
Church, the elevated sense of arrival into the interior sanctuary and the use of towers to emphasize the
corners of the building are prominent character -defining features of the main facade. The triple doorway
entrance brings the visitor interior the simple interior, with a circular altar set in front of the choir
gallery. A street level entrance, located beneath the entrance steps, allows access to the ground floor
auditorium and meeting rooms. The simple form of an open interior sanctuary space flanked by more
privatized rooms remains consistent in all National Register listed Overtown churches, and highlights
the multipurpose uses of the church as a neighborhood gathering space. Similar to the Ebenezer
Methodist Church and the other National Register listed Overtown churches, the remaining elevations
are less ornate than the main facade. The churches were built with funds from the congregation and most
of the architectural detailing focused on the main facade. The side elevations are six bays long and
contain multi -pane windows with side entrances providing access to ground floor meeting rooms.
Similar to the Ebenezer Methodist Church and the three other listed National Register Overtown
churches, the building utilizes passive cooling strategies to adapt to South Florida's climate including
high ceilings, thick wall, and small windows.
The St. John's Baptist Church is a rare extant example of the Art Deco architectural style in the
Overtown neighborhood (Figure 11). Similar to the Ebenezer Methodist Church and Mt. Zion Baptist
Church, the comer location provides a sense of importance, particularly among the remaining historic
structures in Overtown. Designed by architectural firm McKissack and McKissack, the Art Deco
detailing is features in buff -colored brick, on the exterior and interior, a central tower comprised of a
cascading series of setbacks, and Mission -tiled gable roof. The principal east elevation is three bays
wide with the entrance located within the central bay and vertically emphasized windows recessed in the
end bays. A masonry surround frames the entrance with stylized religious iconography. The two-story
rectangular plan is simple and similar to the other Overtown churches. The entrance to the church is
approached by a series of broad steps from the sidewalk level. The plain interior of the church has a
central open sanctuary with the altar located to the west, balcony to the rear, and a choir gallery, which
flanks the altar in a bifurcated projection above the ground floor level.
The collection of these three National Register Overtown churches and the Ebenezer Methodist Church
are the few remaining historic buildings with architectural detail and styling. Though modifications have
been made over time to all buildings to maintain the usefulness of the structures, they maintain their
historic integrity of its location, setting, design, materials, feeling, and association. The prominence of
all the churches within the Overtown neighborhood highlight their urban setting, with multi -story,
highly -decorated primary facades, nearly zero setbacks on all sides, and sculpted rooflines to announce
the importance of the churches as central buildings to the religious, social, and political lives of
Overtown's residents.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 9 Page 31
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Major Bibliographical References
Blackman, E.V. Miami and Dade County, Florida: Its Settlement, Progress, and Achievement.
Washington, D.C.: Victor Rainbolt, 1921.
City of Miami Planning and Zoning Department. "Overtown: Community Development Target Area,"
Neighborhood Planning Program, Miami, Florida, 1994-1996.
Colburn, David, and Jane Landers, eds. The African American Heritage of Florida. Gainesville:
University Presses of Florida, 1995.
Dunn, Marvin. Black Miami in the Twentieth Century. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Press,
1997.
Fields, Dorothy Jenkins. "A Sense of Place: Miami's Colored Town in Overtown," Miami: Black
Archives, History & Research Foundation of South Florida.
. "Colored Town, Miami, Florida, 1915: An Examination of the Manner in Which the Residents
Defined Their Community During This Era of Jim Crow," Ph.D. Dissertation, The Union
Institute, Cincinnati, Ohio, June 1996.
Fleming, G. James, and Christian Burckel, eds. Who's Who in Colored America. New York: Christian E.
Burckel & Associates, 1950.
Florida Center for Urban Design & Research, In Association with Reginald A. Barker, A.I.C.P., and
Robert D. Cruz, Ph.D., "Overtown CRP Executive Summary," University of South Florida,
Tampa, Florida, December 1993.
George, Paul S. "Miami's Black Community, 1896-1930." The Florida Historical Quarterly, Vol. 56,
No. 4 (Apr. 1978), 432-447.
Goodwin, Gary, Suzanne Walker, and Jim Walker. Florida Black Heritage Trail. Tallahassee: Division
of Historical Resources, 1994.
Hopkins, G.M. Plat Book of Great Miami, Florida and Suburbs. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1925,
1936, 1947.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 9 Page 32
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Kostoff, Spiro. A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals. New York City, New York: Oxford
University Press, 1995.
Metropolitan Dade County, Office of Community and Economic Development, Historic Preservation
Division. From Wilderness to Metropolis: The History and Architecture of Dade County, Florida
(1925-1940). Miami, Florida: Metropolitan Dade County, 1982.
Nieman, Donald. African Americans and Education in the South, 1865-1900. New York: Garland, 1994.
Parks, Arva Moore. Miami: The Magic City. Revised Edition. Miami, Florida: Centennial Press, 1991.
Peters, Thelma. Miami 1901. Miami, Florida: Banyan Books, Inc., 1994.
R.L. Polk and Company. R.L. Polk and Company's Miami City Directory. Jacksonville, Florida: R.L.
Polk and Co., 1911-1942.
Sanborn Map Company. Insurance Maps of Miami, Dade County, Florida. New York City, New York:
Sanborn Map Company, 1899-1950.
University of Miami, Office of Civic & Community Engagement, "Housing and Historic Preservation in
Overtown," Spring 2015.
Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1780: A Guide to the Styles. Cambridge, Massachusetts:
The MIT Press, Revised Edition, 1991.
Wiggins, Larry. "The Birth of the City of Miami." Tequesta, Vol. 55, (1995), 5-38.
Newspapers and Journals
Update. Historical Association of Southern Florida, 1974-1981.
The Miami Herald, 1939 — 2017
Miami News, 1979 — 1982
The Miami Times, 1946 — 1978
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 9 Page 33
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Government Documents
Janus Research, "Survey 4507: Cultural Resource Assessment Survey Report for SR-836/I-395/I-95,
Federal -Aid Project No. NH-6182 (10), State Project No. 87200-1532," November 1995.
, "Survey 8828: A Cultural Resources Assessment Survey of SR 9A/I-95 New Port Access
Ramp to Westbound State Road 836 from NE/NW 5th Street to the SR-836/I-95/I-395
Interchange," 2003.
, "Survey 10200: Cultural Resource Assessment Survey of NW 14th Street New Access Ramps
at I-95 South of SR 836/I-395, Miami -Dade County Florida," January 2004.
, "Survey 12530: Cultural Resources Assessment Survey of the Advanced Acquisition of
Eleven Blocks for the I-395/I-95/SR-836 Project Development and Environmental Study,"
September 2005.
, "Survey 13353: Miami Streetcar Analysis Cultural Resourced Addendum," September 2006.
, "Survey 14567: Cultural Resource Assessment Survey of I-395, from the Midtown
Interchange (I-95/SR-836/I-395) to Biscayne Bay, Miami -Dade County, Volume I of III," July
2007.
, "Survey 16528: Cultural Resource Assessment Survey of SR-836 From NW 17th Avenue to
West of Midtown Interchange (SR-836/I-95/I-395), Volume I of II," September 2008.
, "Survey 19480: Cultural Resource Assessment Report for the All Aboard Florida Passenger
Rail Project from West Palm Beach to Miami, Volume I of IV" September 2012.
, "Survey 21124: Cultural Resource Assessment Survey Reevaluation for the State Road 836/I-
395 Reconstruction Project Development and Environment Study from West of I-95 to the
MacArthur Causeway Bridge," May 2014.
, "Survey 21242: Cultural Resources Assessment Survey of SR7/US 441/NW 7th Avenue from
NW 8th Street to NW 79th Street," August 2014.
, "CRAS Reevaluation Addendum: I-395 from I-95 to MacArthur Causeway Bridges and SR
836 Improvements from NW 17th Avenue to I-95/Midtown Interchange and I-95 Pavement
Reconstruction," January 2019.
Miami, Florida. Building and Zoning Department, Building Permits, 1923 to present.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 9 Page 34
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Miami, Florida. Building and Zoning Department, Building Plans on Microfilm.
Miami, Florida. Planning and Zoning Department, Local Historic Designation Reports for Black Police
Precinct and Courthouse (2002); D.A. Dorsey House (1983); Dr. William Chapman House (1983);
Dorsey Memorial Library (1983); Ebenezer Methodist Church (1988); Flagler Worker's House (1983);
Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church (2004); Lyric Theater (1988); Mt. Zion Baptist Church (1988); New
Providence Lodge No. 365 (2009); St. Agnes' Episcopal Church (2003); St. John's Baptist Church
(1988); Ward Rooming House (2006); William Wagner House (1984); and the X-Ray Clinic (1994).
National Park Service, Department of the Interior, National Register of Historic Places, Downtown
Multiple Resource Area, 1988.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number
Photos Page 35
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Verbal Boundary Description
The boundary encompasses all of parcel (folio) 01-0101-040-1010 of the Miami -Dade Property
Appraiser Office records. See map for more information.
Legal Description: MIAMI NORTH PB B-41 N50FT LOT 1 & 2 BLK 14 LOT SIZE 50.000 X 100 OR
11668-2224 0183 5 THE MIAMI DIST BOARD OF CH EXT OF THE METHODIST CH OR 11099-
2540 0481 5
Boundary Justification
The boundary includes all of the property associated with the historic operations of the Ebenezer
Methodist Church.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 1
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Additional Documentation (Figures, plans, historic photos)
Figure 1: Historic Photo, View from Northeast
Source: "Ebenezer Methodist Church," City of Miami Historic Designation Report, 1988.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 2
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
5. EBENEZER METHODIST CHURCH
PETER ANDREW BOSCH / Mparn1 Herald Ste
The Ebenezer Methodist Church, 1042 NW Third Ave., is
the horne of a congregatEor1 organized in 1898.
Figure 2: Historic Photo, East Facade
Source: The Miami Herald, May 11, 1988.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 3
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
SOUVENIR-
(EL{BRATING
Rev. William Osborne B rtleru's
11IRT[[NTtl ANNIVERSARY
November ff-19, f9W6
AT
EBENEZER METHODIST CHURCH
310 Norlhwent Eleventh Street
Miami, Florida
Price: Fifty ceate - --
DEDICATION
This publication 4 dedicatee to the life and acAkvemenm of our
dear beloved Pester. Re, W. O. Berney, aim has ,Peeved ua so faith»
fatly during the past 19 yeam-
During the past 19 years, cur dear Rev. Hartley came to us arab
*brood knowledge of InInlatm. after being laymen under him for mean
be ham proven to be bde of the beet pastors {n Greater Rlaml Web a
oat sincere sad aympethnic, understanding person. 1fe w hked by
al, and loved by many.
Thr* your prayer, and vi,ltatlans ymr have endeared yourself,
not only to tho membern n1 Ebenezer Church. but to members and
friends of all dens ninstione. and the remenonity at large.
Ta Y011 deer Pastor, we humbly submit this }It11e rotten on tkY
your 1 th Anniversary, and may yea, ye are In She future be evm mole
prosperous than thmm in the pa.at, and nee Pray i!. will survbe
®s1 eternity.
Figures 3-4: Ebenezer Methodist Church Ephemera, Rev. W. O. Bartley's 13th Anniversary, 1946
Source: "Souvenir —Celebrating Rev. William Osborne Bartley's Thirteenth Anniversary, Ebenezer Methodist Church,"
November 11-19, 1946. Courtesy Black Archives.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 4
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
7 e P zU
IIRI', lh O. BARTLEY
Pala
'Bat rm.t ie ihr Methodist Church,
at a safu! Pena laey.ntne pearl En
Derivecnemre. It was et the Annual Con.
(never of 1947 that he wet return!, I, S
u°g ruched We ape !Wog ar a Methodist
Putt, Ncafns Worked laithkkly, and at
that h M dhowwg. ails of cnruual s
uuy, at his own will sale ye -appointed
as a Supply Pastor of this our Ebeneaer
Methedisl Cora. malting hit 15th year.
During his Si yurs u a Pastor, he
erected. two Crunches. Viz. Gen \Inhe.
din Chtewh of Oula, Flo., and Ns our
1rw E7wrerat. Being calkd al Gad, to
'disciple ail men' he ha, now to hie
credit. right flw:and. two hund.M and
ru, to toy nolhina of the
many thw sands of seer a to our
htethodum, at well or that rof .her de
menaeov. whcrr he wnducted ever,
gelWte meetly. throughout Florida end
u:hrr State, of the Valero-
klEtN. \I'. U. ;11:fLE\
Figures 5-6: Ebenezer Methodist Church Ephemera, Opening Services, 1948
Source: "Souvenir —Opening Services, New Ebenezer Methodist Church," June 27, 1948. Courtesy Black Archives.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 5
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
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NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 6
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 7: 1950 Sanborn map of Overtown African American Churches
Yellow highlighted churches demonstrate extant churches (2022) and highlighted in blue represent no
longer extant churches. Comparative analysis demonstrates eleven extant churches present in the
Multiple Resource Area (bounded by 20th Street in the north, 5th Street in the south, 1st Avenue in the
east and 6th Avenue in west). In 1950, there were thirty-nine identified churches, of which twenty-eight
are no longer extant, representing over 72% of Overtown African American churches have been
demolished. Ebenezer Methodist Church is the best surviving Gothic Revival Church, and a
contemporary of the extant St. Agnes Episcopal Church.
Source: 1950 Sanborn Maps of Miami, FL, Volumes One and Two, Base layer by Ruben Acosta, Survey and Registration
Supervisor, Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources, amended by Author, 2022
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 7
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
NW 18th St
n
NW15thSt
NW 13th St.
c NW 12th St
n
Culmer
z 4ry�c
.11,1 ern tit
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ro
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NW 17th St
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z
0 NW 13th St
NW 11th Terrace
0
0 KW9thSt
NO St
Z
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7
b
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7. NElath St
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NW 9th St NE 9th St
NE 8th St
Figure 8: Comparative Analysis of extant Overtown African American Churches Map
Source: Author, 2022
Location Mao
1. Ebenezer Methodist Church, 1074 NW 3rd Avenue
2. Mt. Zion Baptist Church (DA2359), 301 NW 9th Street
3. Greater Bethel AME Church (DA2367), 245 NW 8th Street
4. St. John's Baptist Church (DA5127), 1238 NW 3rd Avenue
5. St. Agnes' Episcopal Church (local designation 2003), 1750 NW 3rd Avenue
6. St. Francis Xavier Church, 1698 NW 4th Avenue
7. Mt. Olivette Baptist Church, 1450 NW 1st Court
8. Church of God in Christ, 1747 NW Tel Avenue
9. Greater Israel Bethel Primitive Baptist Church, 160 NW 18th Street
10. Triumph The Church and Kingdom of God in Christ, 1750 NW 1st Court*
11. St. Peter's Antiochian Orthodox Catholic Church, 1811 NW 4th Court
*Note: Triumph The Church and Kingdom of God in Christ (#10) is shown on the 1950 Sanborn map as a dwelling, however
the property was utilized as a religious structure since its construction in 1946.
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 8
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 9: Mt. Zion Baptist Church (DA2359), 301 NW 9th Street
View of southeast facade, facing northwest
Source: Author, 2021
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page
9
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 10: Greater Bethel AME Church (DA2367), 245 NW 8th Street
Top: Historic Photo, View of south facade, facing northeast;
Bottom: View of south facade, facing north
Source: Author, 2021
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 10
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
1111ul(l111111111lu1i�i
Figure 11: St. John's Baptist Church (DA5127), 1238 NW 3r'd Avenue
Top: View of east facade, facing west; Bottom: View of southeast facade, facing northwest
Source: Author, 2021
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 11
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 12: St. Agnes' Episcopal Church, 1750 NW 3rd Avenue
Top: View of east facade, facing southwest
Source: Author, 2022
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 12
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 13: St. Francis Xavier Church, 1698 NW 4' Avenue
Top: View of east facade, facing west
Source: Author, 2022
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 13
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 14: Mt. Olivette Baptist Church, 1450 NW 1st Court
Top: View of east and north facades, facing southwest; Bottom: View of east facade, facing west
Source: Author, 2022
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 14
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 15: Church of God in Christ, 1747 NW 3`'d Avenue
Top: View of west facade, facing east
Source: Author, 2022
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 15
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
' I IINII1f1l1i1l Illlll,�r, fr
P g
Figure 16: Greater Israel Bethel Primitive Baptist Church, 160 NW 18' Street
Top: View of north facade, facing south; Bottom: View of west facade, facing southeast
Source: Author, 2022
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 16
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
7RlI HF ff( C.ydGuM AM0 hi14DCM
OF ':op Vu COPLV
E' L.C:1. . 51 Rr1
l'it
iii \' tif6il��41i1!11li�11 �� '
ii111 1' litIl l liib h .
(D:
Figure 17: Triumph The Church and Kingdom of God in Christ, 1750 NW 1st Court
Top: View of east facade, facing west
Source: Author, 2022
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 17
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 18: St. Peter's Antiochian Orthodox Catholic Church, 1811 NW 4th Court
Top: View of west facade, facing east; Bottom: View of northwest facade, facing southeast
Source: Author, 2022
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 18
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
EXHIBIT A
City of Miami Directories
Source: Miami -Dade Public Library
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 19
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Ebenezer Methodist Chuck 1074 NW 3 Ave
1925
1928
1929
1930
1931
1932
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1944
1947
1949
1953-4
sw oom Ebenezer M EChuch'
six cor Ear A M EChuch (c)
sw mr Ewa A M ECh (c)
sw mr Ewa A M ECh (c)
sw mr Ewa A M ECh (c)
1044 Ebenezer A M EChudh (c)
1044 Ebenezer A M EChudh (c)
1044 Ebenezer A M EChudh (c)
1044 Ebenezer A M EChudh (c)
1044 Ebenezer A M EChudh (c)
1044 a A M EChudr (c)
1044 Ebenezer A M EChudh (c)
1044 Ebenezer A M EChudh (c)
1044 Ebenezer A M EChudr (c)
1044 Ebenezer A M EChudh (c)
1044 Ebenezer Ehpist Much (c)
1044 EbenezerMdhodistMuch
1044 EbenezerMdhodistMuth
1957
1958-9
1964
1966
1967
1969
1044 Ewa M dhodist Much
1044 Ebenezer MdhodistChudh
1042 Ebenezer M dh Ch FR.-5506
1042 Ebenezer M dhodist Chudh FRI-5506
1042 Ebenezer M dhodist Chudh 37 5506
1042 Ebenezer MdhodistChudh 37 5506
Figure 19: City of Miami Directory listings, 1925 - 69
Source: Miami -Dade Public Library
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 20
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
EXHIBIT B
Existing Conditions photos, 2010
Source: Southeast Overtown Park West Community
Redevelopment Agency (SEOPW CRA)
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 21
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 19: View northeast from ground floor assembly space
Source: SEOPW CRA, 2010
Figure 20: View west of dais from ground floor assembly space
Source: SEOPW CRA, 2010
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 22
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 21: View of poor condition and unrepaired roof of main assembly space
Source: SEOPW CRA, 2010
Figure 22: View of poor condition and unrepaired second floor balcony
Source: SEOPW CRA, 2010
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 23
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 23: Poor condition of ground floor entrance
Source: SEOPW CRA, 2010
Figure 24: Poor condition of dais detailed
Source: SEOPW CRA, 2010
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 24
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 25: Poor condition and structural damage to interior space
Source: SEOPW CRA, 2010
Figure 26: Poor condition and structural damage to interior space
Source: SEOPW CRA, 2010
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 25
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
EXHIBIT C
2012 Construction Documents for Renovation and Restoration
Source: City of Miami
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 26
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
SITE PLAN • NEW
Figure 27: "Site Plan —New," 2012
Source: City of Miami
e ._ IL
',`. 1'
° = 0 1*ve
I TIMM
BASEMENT LEVEL - NEW
t4
Q
ft o
Figure 28: `Basement Level —New," 2012
Source: City of Miami
■
111
1 P2�2
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 27
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
EMENT LEVEL - REFLECTED CEILING PLAN -NEW
A-2.3
Figure 29: "Basement Level —Reflected Ceiling Plan-- New," 2012
Source: City of Miami
Figure 30: "Main Level —New," 2012
Source: City of Miami
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number Add. Doc. Page 28
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Figure 31: "Mezzanine Level —New," 2012
Source: City of Miami
A-2.14
Figure 32: "Roof Plan —New," 2012
Source: City of Miami
NPS Form 10-900-a
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
OMB No. 1024-0018
Ebenezer Methodist Church
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number
Photos Page 29
Name of Property
Miami -Dade, Florida
County and State
Historic and Architectural Properties of
Overtown in Miami, Florida (1896-1964)
Name of multiple listing (if applicable)
Submit clear and descriptive photographs. The size of each image must be 1600x1200 pixels
(minimum), 3000x2000 preferred, at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs to the
sketch map. Each photograph must be numbered in the order they are referenced in the manuscript, and
that number must correspond to the photograph number on the photo log.
Property Name: Ebenezer Methodist Church
City or Vicinity: Miami
County: Miami -Dade State: FL
Photographer: Laura Weinstein -Berman Date Photographed: March 22, 2021
Description of photograph(s) and number, including description of view indicating direction of
camera:
1. View of east facade, facing west
2. View of southeast facade, facing northwest
3. View of northeast facade, facing southwest
4. View of east facade, facing northwest
5. View of detail at east facade entrance from street, facing northwest
6. View of south facade, facing west
7. View of west facade, facing southeast
8. View of interior ground floor west, facing west on second floor mezzanine
9. View of interior ground floor west, facing west on ground floor
10. View of interior ground and second floor mezzanine, facing east
11. View of interior of second floor mezzanine office, facing west
12. View of interior basement level, facing east
13. View of interior basement kitchen, facing southwest
14. View of interior basement level elevator access, facing northeast
EBENEZER METHODIST CHURCH
1074 NW 3RD AVENUE
MIAMI, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL 33136
1
0 50 100
200 FEET
LAT., LONG. COORDINATES: 25.78464468721155, -80.19985698707272
UTM: ZONE 17, EASTING 580268, NORTHING 2852079
DATUM: WGS84
LEGEND: PROPOSED BOUNDARY
DATE: 08/01 /2021
Basemap Sources: Esri, GIS User Community, and Google Maps.
EBENEZER METHODIST CHURCH
1074 NW 3RD AVENUE
MIAMI, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FL 33136
NW 1 3 TH ST
NW 12TH ST
Frederick
dug Elem Sth:
NW 6TH ST'
NW 5TH ST
0 150 300 600 FEET
NW 9TH
NW 8Tr
LAT., LONG. COORDINATES: 25.78464468721155, -80.19985698707272
UTM: ZONE 17, EASTING 580268, NORTHING 2852079
DATUM: WGS84
LEGEND: PROPOSED BOUNDARY
DATE: 08/01 /2021
Basemap Sources: 2013 National Geographic Society
\
'is
City of Miami
Planning and Zoning Department
Historic Preservation Office
ANALYSIS FOR A NOMINATION TO THE NATIONAL
REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
APPLICANT: State Historic Preservation Office
PROJECT ADDRESS: Ebenezer Methodist Chuch
1074 NW 3rd Ave
ZIP: 33136
HEARING DATE: 4/4/2023
COMMISSION DISTRICT: District 5 (Commissioner Christine King)
A. GENERAL INFORMATION:
REQUEST: The Preservation Office is respectfully requesting the Historic and Environmental
Preservation Board (HEPB) provide a recommendation to the State Historic Preservation Officer on
the proposed National Register of Historic Places designation of the Ebenezer Methodist Church
(DA00428), approximately located at 1074 NW 3rd Avenue, as nominated by the State Historic
Preservation Office (SHPO).
B. IMAGE:
A.Pernas
03/06/2023
Ebenezer Methodist Church National Register Nomination
Page 1 of 2
C. ANALYSIS:
The SHPO has prepared a nomination proposal to add the Ebenezer Methodist Church (DA00428),
approximately located at 1074 NW 3rd Avenue, Miami, FL, 33136 to the National Register of Historic
Places for its significant architecture, ethnic heritage and social history (Attachment A). The SHPO
has determined the site is eligible for inclusion on the National Register as it meets:
• National Register Criterion A as the property is associated with events that made a
significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history.
• National Register Criterion C as it embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period
(1948-1971), or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses
high artistic value, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components
lack individual distinction.
Pursuant to Section 23-5(b) of the City Code of Ordinances, as amended, the HEPB shall obtain a
written recommendation from the City Commission and the Miami -Dade County Board of
Commissioners as to whether a property should be nominated to the National Register. At the time
this report was completed, the City Commission review was pending scheduling. A recommendation
has been requested but has not yet been received from Miami -Dade County.
D. CONCLUSION:
Pursuant to Section 23-5 of the City Code of Ordinances, as amended, the HEPB shall forward to
the SHPO its action on the nomination and the recommendations of the local officials. If either the
HEPB or local officials, or both, support the nomination, the SHPO will schedule the nomination for
consideration by the Florida National Register Review Board at its meeting scheduled for May 4,
2023. If both the HEPB and the local officials recommend a property not be nominated to the National
Register, the SHPO will take no further action unless an appeal is filed with the SHPO.
Support for or against a nomination must be based upon the National Register criteria.
E. RECOMMENDATION:
Preservation staff recommends approval of the nomination to add the Ebenezer Methodist Church
to the National Register of Historic Places.
A.Pernas
03/06/2023
Preservation Officer
Ebenezer Methodist Church National Register Nomination
Page 2 of 2
HISTORIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION BOARD
FACT SHEET
File ID: HEPB-R-23-018
Title: A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI HISTORIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL
PRESERVATION BOARD, PURSUANT TO SEC. 23-5 OF THE CITY
CODE OF ORDINANCES, RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THE
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE NOMINATION TO ADD
THE EBENEZER METHODIST CHURCH LOCATED AT
APPROXIMATELY 1074 NORTHWEST THIRD AVENUE, MIAMI,
FLORIDA, 33136, WITH THE FOLIO NUMBER 0101010401010, TO THE
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AS IT MEETS
NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA (A) AND (C); FURTHER
INCORPORATING THE ANALYSIS IN THE ATTACHED HEREIN AS
"EXHIBIT A".
LOCATION: Approximately 1074 NW 3rd Ave [Commissioner Christine King - District 5]
APPLICANT(S): State Historic Preservation Office
PURPOSE: This will allow the Historic Environmental Preservation Board (HEPB) to provide a
recommendation to the State Historic Preservation Officer on the proposed National register of
Historic Places designation of the Ebenezer Methodist Church (DA00428), approximately
located at 1074 NW 3rd Avenue, as nominated by the State historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
FINDING(S):
PRESERVATION OFFICE: Recommended approval.
City of Miami
HEPB Resolution
Enactment Number: HEPB-R-23-018
City Hall
3500 Pan American Drive
Miami, FL 33133
www.miamigov.com
File Number: 13785 Final Action Date:5/2/2023
A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI HISTORIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL
PRESERVATION BOARD, PURSUANT TO SEC. 23-5 OF THE CITY CODE OF
ORDINANCES, RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THE STATE HISTORIC
PRESERVATION OFFICE NOMINATION TO ADD THE EBENEZER METHODIST
CHURCH LOCATED AT APPROXIMATELY 1074 NORTHWEST THIRD AVENUE,
MIAMI, FLORIDA, 33136, WITH THE FOLIO NUMBER 0101010401010, TO THE
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AS IT MEETS NATIONAL
REGISTER CRITERIA (A) AND (C); FURTHER INCORPORATING THE ANALYSIS IN
THE ATTACHED HEREIN AS "EXHIBIT A".
Preservation Officer Date
City of Miami Page 2 of 2 File ID: 13785 (Revision:) Printed On: 5/23/2023
MIAMI•DADE
COUNTY
May 16, 2023
Anna Pernas, Historic Preservation Officer
City of Miami
444 SW 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33130
Regulatory and Economic Resources Department
Office of Historic Preservation
111 NW 1st Street, Mailbox 114 • 12th Floor
Miami, Florida 33128
T 305-375-4958
Re: Ebenezer Methodist Church, National Register of Historic Places Nomination
Dear Ms. Pernas:
Pursuant to Miami -Dade County Ordinance 81-13, Chapter 16A-3.2, I offer the following
recommendation on behalf of the County. Miami -Dade County recommends approval of the
nomination of the Ebenezer Methodist Church, 1074 NW 3rd Avenue (DA00428) to the National
Register of Historic Places.
The Ebenezer Methodist Church is a significant architectural and historic resource that reflects
an important era in Miami history. Its architecture and historic context make it a notable
inclusion for the National Register of Historic Places. I appreciate you and the Historic &
Environmental Preservation Board for taking the time to review the nomination, and for
considering the County's recommendation
Sincerely,
r
))uulk,
Sarah K. Cody
Historic Preservation Chief
Miami -Dade County
Cc: Mr. Ruben A. Acosta, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, Florida Division of
Historical Resources
Sec. 23-5. - Nomination to the national register of historic places.
(a)
Responsibilities under the certified local government program. As part of the duties under the certified
local government program, the HEPB shall receive all nominations to the national register of historic
places for any properties located within the city, following the regulations of the state division of
historical resources.
(b) Notice requirements. The HEPB shall give notice to the owners of the property at least 30 days but
not more than 75 days prior to the historic preservation board meeting at which the nomination will be
considered. The HEPB shall also obtain a written recommendation from the city commission and the
Miami -Dade Board of County Commissioners whether each property should be nominated to the
National Register, and these recommendations shall be given to the HEPB within 30 days.
Owner notification and requirements for comment. The HEPB shall obtain comments from the public
that shall be included in the report making a recommendation. Objections to being listed in the national
register by property owners must be notarized and filed with the historic preservation office. Within 30
days after its meeting, the HEPB shall forward to the state historic preservation officer its action on the
nomination and the recommendations of the local officials. Appropriate local officials, the owner and
the applicant shall be notified of the HEPB's actions.
(d) Referral to the state historic preservation officer. The state historic preservation officer will take further
steps on the nomination in accordance with federal and state regulations. If either the HEPB or local
officials, or both, support the nomination, the state historic preservation officer will schedule the
nomination for consideration by the state review board for the national register at its next regular
meeting. If both the HEPB and the local officials recommend that a property not be nominated to the
national register, the state historic preservation officer will take no further action on the nomination
unless an appeal is filed with the state historic preservation officer.
(c)