Perhaps not as well-known as other prominent members of the Black community in Cambridge in the 19th century is Reverend Henry Buckner (c.1832 Virginia – 1893 Worcester, Mass). Reverend Buckner founded what became the first African American church in Cambridge. It all began in 1870 when he and a group of his like-minded friends met for prayer in his living room at #32 Hastings Street. In 1873, the group was associated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and was subsequently known as the St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church. Note that the church website lists it as St. Paul Church—singular—though it is inevitably referred to as plural: St. Paul’s.
Buckner was born in Virginia around 1830. Given the date and location of his birth, it is likely that Buckner was born into enslavement. And, given his name, it is possible that the Buckner family of Virginia were Henry’s enslavers. Henry’s wife, Georgiana Watters, was also born in Virginia around 1830. Her death was noted in the Cambridge Press on February 23, 1889. Five months later, Buckner married Mary P. Mingo (b. 1844 in Virginia). This was both Henry and Mary’s second marriage. Their marriage document lists Henry’s mother as Ann Killis; Mary’ Mingo’s parents were Isaac and Sarah Watters.
Henry Buckner first appears in Cambridge in the 1870 Census, listing him as a blacksmith living in a predominately Black neighborhood (street unnamed). The value of his real estate was an impressive $2000—valued around $40,000 in today’s currency. Henry was not listed in the 1869 Cambridge Directory. The 1872 Directory lists him living at #32R Hastings Street, which ran between Moore St and Portland St in East Cambridge. His occupation was listed as “laborer” until 1892 when he was listed as “Rev. Henry Buckner.”
After 1893, Cambridge changed its street numbering system, and the Buckner’s home was henceforth listed as #70. You can see #70 on the map below just a few doors down from the St. Paul A.M.E. at the corner of Hastings and Portland Streets. Hastings St was closed by 1960, and today the Draper Labs garage stands on church’s former site.
In 1900, the current pastor of the Church, Rev. W. H. Burrell, wrote an article for the Cambridge Chronicle about the founding of St. Paul A.M.E.
The article continues:
“The little society rapidly grew to such proportions that it was soon found necessary to secure a more commodious place of worship, and after selecting a suitable location, leased of Mr. James C. Davis (who afterward became a staunch friend of this struggling society) the lot of land corner Portland and Hastings streets, on which the church building now stands, and erected the St. Paul’s A. M. E. church, which for twenty-four years, has stood battling for the right, and which for many years was the only place of worship of the colored people in the city of Cambridge…”
In 1899, Pastor Burrell had begun a remodeling drive. The article concluded with a touching appeal for funds:
In 1882, Buckner represented his church at the first meeting of “colored temperance organizations of Cambridge and Boston” and was named temporary chairman of the group:
Of course, Buckner regularly attended the New England Conference of the A.M.E. Church at Newport, Worcester and other locations. In 1890, at the Conference in Worcester, Mass, Buckner’s transfer to Westfield, Mass was announced. The Pittsfield papers noted that Buckner had served there in 1884 and 1885, noting that in January of 1885 he was called back to Cambridge “on account of his wife’s sickness.”
The June 17, 1890 edition of the Boston Globe noted that Buckner was again transferred to Westfield. Several days earlier, on June 14, he had been referred to as a “supernumerary” in the Worcester Daily Spy. The following year, in June of 1891, he opened the devotional exercises at the morning session of the A.M.E. conference in Newport, Rhode Island (Boston Globe, June 11, 1891).
It is difficult to locate any information about Rev. Buckner after 1891. A clue as to his death may be seen in the 1893 City Directory under his last name. The only Buckner listed is “Buckner Henry Mrs house 70 Hastings.” Women were generally listed this way only after their husbands were deceased. Meanwhile, the church Henry had founded moved to the corner of Columbia Ave and Austin St in Cambridge after the congregation outgrew their former building at the corner of Portland and Hastings Street. In 1920, the church purchased the Wood Memorial Church on Austin Street (now Bishop Allen Drive).
In 1974, Austin Street was renamed Bishop Allen Drive, after the founder of the A.M.E. Church in America. A little over two centuries earlier, in 1784, Richard Allen had founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia.
Also in 1974, St. Paul A.M.E. opened the Henry Buckner School at 85 Bishop Allen Drive with the mission to provide care for toddlers, pre-school learning, and kindergarten. So, though we don’t know exactly when the Rev. Henry Buckner passed on, his memory lives on forever in this school.
Today’s post was written by Kathleen M. Fox
SOURCES
Cambridge Public Library Newspapers and City Directories
U.S. Census
Genealogy Bank
Newspapers.com