Historic Mt. Zion AME Church Gets Grant To Restore Windows

DEVON, PA — Devon's historic Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church will have its wooden window frames and stained glass windows expertly rehabilitated with special state grant funding.

Pennsylvania State Rep. Melissa Shusterman (D-157th) today announced that Mt. Zion church received a $35,220 grant to restore 10 stained glass windows.

According to Tredyffrin Township records, the church’s windows date back to approximately 1922. The Keystone Historic Preservation grant will pay for the removal of wooden window frames and the stained glass as one whole piece, for repair and rehabilitation expenses, and for the reinstallation of windows and wooden frames, Shusterman's office said.

"Mt. Zion church played an important role in Pennsylvania's history, specifically in the fight against 'separate but equal.'" Shusterman said.

"Mt. Zion church housed one of the most influential and powerful initiatives in Pennsylvania’s Black history. Families and patrons of this church who stood up against this unjust law ultimately assisted in the passing of Pennsylvania’s equal rights bill."

The Keystone Historic Preservation grant program funds preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration activities of historic sites that are eligible for or listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The historic Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal (AME) church is the oldest continuing congregation in the denomination, established in 1849. The church was recognized in 2020 by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission for its central historic role in the "Berwyn School Segregation Case," a historic battle for civil rights in the early 1930s.

The case began when Tredyffrin and Easttown school board leaders planned to segregate all Black students, teachers, and staff in two older schools, while the existing high school and a new elementary school would be reserved for white students.

The decision was in line with the U.S. Supreme Court 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that established "separate but equal," but the families of 212 Black children stood up to the decision. They worked together to boycott the segregated schools, and Mount Zion A.M.E. Church was the site of many organizational meetings.

Read a related story here.

Questions about the grant may be directed to Shusterman's office by calling (484) 200-8260 or emailing RepShusterman@pahouse.net.

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