Cherry Street A.M.E. Mural

SIZE
91" Long by 25' High

COMPLETION DATE
May 1999

ARTIST NAME
Wes Hardin

TALKING POINTS

  • Cherry St. A.M.E., originally founded in the 1880’s as The Colored Methodist Church, was renamed in 1907 and it is the oldest African Methodist Episcopal church in Alabama.
  • The church was built by children and parishioners bringing bricks to the church each week.
  • On the right is an encapsulated view of the church as it is today.
  • In front of the hardware store is Mr. Price, who was the first black man to own a business in downtown Dothan, and his wife.
  • The man with the apron is a well known barber in the 1930’s, Mr. Yelverton.

Cherry St. A.M.E. has a unique place in the history of the Wiregrass and in Alabama. It was founded in the 1880’s as The Colored Methodist Church. In the 1870s, its name changed to Gaines Chapel, and then in 1907 to Cherry Street A.M.E. It is the oldest A.M.E. (African Methodist Epsicopal) church in Alabama.

The mural not only depicts building the present church, it also depicts black people and businesses in the area at the turn of the century. The church was built by children and parishioners bringing bricks to the church each week, and from these bricks the church was constructed.

It was possible to use bricks gathered from various sites since the brick factory in Dothan produced only one brick – red. The mural shows children bringing bricks in home-made-style play wagons, and men working on the roof and steeple. To the right is an encapsulated view of the church as it is today.

In front of the hardware store is Mr. Price and his wife. Mr. Price was the first black man to own a business in downtown Dothan when in 1912 he built a printing shop on N. St. Andrews Street. The man with the apron is Mr. Yelverton, a well-known barber on Cherry Street in the 1930’s.