Messiah Baptist Church celebrates new landmark status
The Warburton Avenue building dates to 1888. It was originally built as the Westminster Presbyterian Church.
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One of Yonkers oldest African American churches is now a state and national landmark.
Messiah Baptist Church celebrated the status with a special service on Tuesday.
Hundreds packed into the historic church to mark the occasion, including the Rev. Al Sharpton.
Clergy members revealed a plaque at the service that indicated that the church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
They said the Warburton Avenue building dates to 1888. It was originally built as the Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Not only did congregants celebrate the landmark status, the Rev. Margaret Fountain Coleman said many also came out on Tuesday to mark another major moment in the church's history.
"This day is so significant...because the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached here at that very podium 59 years ago to the date," Rev. Coleman said.
