Little White Black Churches By the Sides of Our Roads
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Preservation of Tangible
History Takes Many Forms .........................................................
Story and photography By Paul Tukey
Shortly after moving to Maryland from New Jersey 29 years ago , Chuck Williams joined his wife on what he thought would be a quick search for a new place of worship . Leaving from Germantown , the couple wound down Interstate 270 through Gaithersburg , across the beltway to River Road . They
The St . Paul Community Church in Poolesville was built in 1893 for the Black congregation by white carpenter W . Scott Bell for $ 1,000 . finally reached Seven Locks Road in Potomac , a thoroughfare with so many brick churches , mosques , and synagogues in proximity that some locals call it the “ highway to heaven .”
Nearly 20 miles from their home by then , Cathy Williams directed her husband to park next to a tiny white clapboard edifice that first opened in 1924 . Chuck recalls being fully perplexed upon his first glance at the Scotland African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church . “ I said to my wife , ‘ Honey , do you know how many other churches we just passed on the way here ?’ It must have been at least 30 !”
Suzanne Johnson drives even farther to reach her spiritual base . On a good day , when traffic isn ’ t clogging I-495 East , Suzanne can make it from her home in Lanham to the St . Paul Community Church near Poolesville in about an hour . Some days it can take twice that long to reach the structure that first opened in 1893 .
“ I don ’ t mind the drive ,” said Suzanne . “ I know what awaits me when I arrive .”
Sheila Driver Moore of Gaithersburg , meanwhile , only needs to travel nine minutes along back roads to reach Seneca Community Church near Darnestown . Most of her fellow congregants don ’ t even drive that far . Aunts , uncles , siblings , and cousins simply walk a few steps along quiet Berryville Road to attend the church that their ancestors established on a nearby site 130 years ago .
“ My grandfather , Golden Driver , was on our first board of trustees ,” said Sheila . “ This is a family church . I ’ m one of 15 ; I ’ ve got 14 siblings and our history is
18 plenty I autumn Harvest 2023