Reedy Chapel

Reedy Chapel, the mother church of African Methodism in Texas, grew out of an effort by white slave owners to provide a place of worship for their slaves. The property upon which the church stands was purchased by Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, on March 18, 1848 and given to the slaves.

In 1863, a permanent meeting house was built. In 1885, the first building was destroyed by the great fire of that year, and on its site, in 1886 a new building was constructed. This structure was severely damaged by the 1900 Storm but was completely restored. In 1866, the church and property were deeded to the African Methodist Episcopal Church following the end of the Civil War. Organized as an A.M.E. Church in 1867 by the Rev. M.M. Clark, a black missionary sent from Philadelphia, it received its name later from Rev. Houston Reedy, its second pastor of the church.

The first two annual conferences of the A.M.E. Church were hosted by Reedy. The first in 1867, the second in 1867 and 1868 – the first meeting of Methodist men of color to be conducted by and for African Americans.

Reedy Chapel also houses one of the oldest pipe organs in Texas. The organ was built by the firm of E.&G.G. Hook of Boston as their opus number 647 in the year 1872. Opus 647 was originally built for the Trinity Episcopal Church of Galveston and was moved to Reedy about 1930. The ornate organ, with its 800 pipes and 15 independent stops, has been restored to its original splendor. The original mechanical action and wind system have been preserved, including the hand pumping feeders. There are only two organs of this type in the United States; the other is located at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

Reedy Chapel has received the Texas Historical Marker, the Historical Medallion, and is officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places.