Rossville A.M.E. Zion Church (1824) Staten Island, NY

*ROSSVILE A.M.E. ZION CHURCH IN 1908, THIS EARLIEST KNOWN VIEW OF THE CHURCH SHOWS ITS BELL TOWER IN STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK (c. LOIS AUGUSTUS HENRY MOSLEY)

The town of Sandy Ground in Staten Island, New York, formed in the early 1800s by Black oyster fishermen who were fleeing the restrictive laws of the State of Maryland. These oyster fishermen and their families joined with freed slaves from Staten Island, Manhattan and New Jersey to form the town of Sandy Ground.  Sandy Ground grew and became the center of economic and social life for Blacks living on the Eastern Seaboard. The Rossville A.M.E. Zion Church was formed shortly after the arrival of the oystermen.  The church still functions as an active religious center in the community.

(For more about Sandy Ground, see Slavery in New York).

(SOURCE: ROSSVILLE A.M.E. ZION CHURCH)