| What makes it historical? |
It took nine years for the African-American community of Grand Junction to raise the $962.50 they needed to build their first church! Once it opened its doors in 1892 as part of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, it was known as the Wright Chapel after its first pastor, Silas Wright! By 1900, the name had changed to the Handy Chapel for reasons that are still a mystery today!
This chapel served a wide range of the community’s needs beyond spiritual ones. It was also a classroom, a homeless shelter, and a social gathering spot. Notably, this unique chapel won an important lawsuit in the 1970s. The Rocky Mountain Conference of the AME Church, with which the chapel was affiliated, tried to sell the chapel without permission of the congregation! In April of 1981, the court sided with the black citizens of Grand Junction, to whom this land was deeded and to whom this chapel belonged! |
