By Terry L. Hapney, Jr.
The Ironton Tribune

Efforts to preserve the Quinn Chapel AME Church building and preserve its long legacy continue thanks to the work of a nonprofit organization made up of Ironton Township citizens.
Rich Donohue, a member of the Quinn Chapel Historical Center, said Quinn Chapel was the first African-American church in Ironton.
“Many of the people who went there were involved in the Underground Railroad, helping slaves cross the river to go north to Canada or wherever,” Donohue said.
Donohue pointed to the research of Chris Saunders, a lifelong Burlington resident and U.S. Air Force veteran who serves as an outreach specialist for the National Park Service and on the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Freedom, Heritage and Tourism Power grant committee. That organization’s goal is to research, identify and document 27 Underground Railroad sites in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.
“Quinn Chapel is very historic,” Donohue said. “It closed last fall due to a lack of members. It’s a historic church that’s part of the church tour the museum hosts in the fall.”
The history of the church, according to Saunders’ research, goes back to 1856, when Methodist minister Arthur Harwell met with Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Holt, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Harvey, Mrs. Gabriel Johnson, Mrs. Jane Pogue and other men and women at the Harveys’ home at 313 S. Seventh St. Two white friends, the Reverend John Kelly and Mr. John Raine, assisted the group.
Over the course of a series of important events – including fundraising, land purchases, the founding of the first African-American school in Ironton, the construction of a new building, the naming of the church in 1868 after Bishop William Paul Quinn, the construction of a rectory, work by James W. Taylor and Carter Woodson (most likely the same man considered the father of Black History Month), and a ceremonial groundbreaking – Quinn Chapel became “an integral part of the Ironton community.”
Donohue said he contacted Saunders after the church closed when the building was up for sale. They organized a meeting that took place last January.
“We asked if Quinn Chapel could be a similar project to the John Gee project for the historic black church in Gallipolis,” Donohue said. “The answer was ‘no; the bishop is selling it.'”
The John Gee Black Historical Center is “a cultural and educational center” focused on “ensuring the preservation of African American tradition, culture, crafts, music and art in southeast Ohio and educating our diverse population about African American traditions and the past and present contributions of African Americans to this country,” according to the John Gee Black Historical Center website.
Donohue sent a letter to the bishop a few weeks later.
“We are interested in preserving the heritage of the church,” Donohue said. “We sparked interest. He wanted to meet with us.”
The meeting, which was held at Ohio University Southern, was attended by about 100 people from across the community.
Donohue explained that Dr. Andrew Feight, professor of American and public history and director of the Center for Public History at Shawnee State University, and Dr. Cicero Fain, associate provost for inclusive excellence and fellow for diversity, equity and inclusion at Marshall University, are “interested in this.”
“They’re working with the national park system on the Underground Railroad,” Donohue said. “This is one of those sites. It’s not 100% finished, but it’s one of the things they’re trying to accomplish as part of the Underground Railroad portion.”
The nonprofit also met with the bishop at the church. Donohue said the nonprofit’s goal was to get the church organization to donate to the church.
“We received a response saying we are willing to work with you, but we will not donate to the church,” Donohue said.
The nonprofit currently has a lease agreement that members wrote and sent to the bishop.
“Hopefully we get some answer,” Donohue said.
The Quinn Chapel Historical Center is a multicultural concept with a church that focuses on black history.
“The church started with a lot of black people and a few white friends,” Donohue said. “We want to have events there and some kind of service every month. They want to see a pastor preach there at least once a month.”
Since the nonprofit organization’s plans are not yet finalized, there is hope to set up a museum in the building.
“It would also serve as a gathering place for people,” Donohue said. “With the Gateway project — which is expanding — a visitor center where people can stop by and pick up brochures … It could introduce people to other parts of Ironton and Lawrence County.”
The lease is not finalized yet, according to Donohue, who stressed that, similar to the Ironton-Lawrence County Memorial Day Parade Committee, an organization he is involved with, “it could disappear if we don’t work on it and keep it going.”
Donohue anticipates it may take some time before the bishop and church organization can finalize their proposal and send it back to members of the Quinn Chapel Historical Center for review.
“It has to be good for both organizations, otherwise it’s not good for anyone,” Donohue said.