Renaissance Foundation selects MOA Architecture for historic Bethel A.M.E. Church project

Open house with architect Michael Allen May 26 at 11 a.m.

The Renaissance Foundation has selected MOA Architecture as the project architect for historic Bethel A.M.E. Church in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. To mark the 100th anniversary of the building, the public is invited to an open house with Michael Allen, CEO of MOA Architecture, on May 26 at 11 a.m. The event is open to the public, and registration is not required.

Historic Bethel is home to one of the first African American congregations in Columbia. The structure was built in 1921 and designed by John Anderson Lankford, the first registered Black architect in the United States. 

Later, the church became a training ground for students involved in Civil Rights actions, as well as a place where young protesters gathered for prayer and emotional sustenance. The Bethel congregation moved to a larger structure in 1995 to accommodate growth, and the downtown structure has remained unoccupied. 

The building is now owned by The Renaissance Foundation whose mission is to transform the building into a cultural arts center, performing arts amphitheater, and a civil rights museum. 

Historic Bethel is only one of three monumental Romanesque structures designed by Lankford remaining in South Carolina. It is on the National Historic Register and a National Heritage Tour Site.

“John Anderson Lankford was a trailblazer, but on hundred years later, less than 2% of registered architects in the U.S. are Black”, said Michael Allen, CEO of MOA Architecture. “I think it is a great example of why the mission behind this project is so important. We have to continue to preserve Black history and create a platform that will help address the disparities that continue to exist.”

For additional information about the open house event, contact The Renaissance Foundation at (803) 733-5634 or 803-479-6039, email: joneskkj@bellsouth.net.