LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — On the corner of Upper and 3rd, a Lexington church has as many secrets as it has songs in the hymnal, but their history is hanging in the balance.
“We're getting to become an older congregation, and many of the people who hold and restore its history…we're losing them,” said Reverend Dr. Robert Strode.
The story of his church, Historic St. Paul AME begins behind the pulpit, up the stairs, and locked away in an attic.
Nearly two centuries ago, the room above the sanctuary hid slaves traveling on the Underground Railroad.
By 1850, It’s estimated that 100,000 slaves escaped to freedom through this route.
For many, making it to Lexington would have been the final stop on their journey to freedom.
“You just think about what your forefathers had come through, what they had to do just to get free in America. They went through a whole lot of trouble, but they made it,” said one member of the congregation.
Church historians believe slaves would have hidden in the attic for several days before a cart arrived for them in the street. When a bell was rung, the runaways had only a few minutes to get out, into the cart, and on with their escape.
“It gives you a sense of pride, but it also lets you know the resilience, the strategic nature,” said church historian Priscilla Sullivan.
Sullivan has spent hours poring over dates, deeds, and dissertations, gathering information to submit a formal application to the National Park Service.
Calling it the best kept secret in the Bluegrass, Sullivan wants to see her church recognized by NPS as an official stop on the Underground Railroad.
“I don't think this community really understands or even knows the whole truth, and I think the truth needs to be told. I think education and history is very, very important,” said Sullivan.
While recognition from NPS feels within reach, a structural restoration project weighs heavily on the congregation.
According to Dave Kieser, an engineer working with St. Paul AME, construction costs are over half a million dollars.
From the foundation to the ceiling, the structure needs to be restored in order for educational tours or programming to take place in the future.
He’s already spent more than two years searching for grant funding for the project, but says they’ve only raised a fraction of their needed funds.
“The stake in this is protecting an important cultural, community treasure,” said Kieser. “It's one of the longest, active African American congregations in Kentucky, and probably the Midwest.”
When abolishing slavery felt like a battle of David and Goliath, St. Paul AME persevered, and they’re not ready to give up now.
“Every time I stand here, I'm experiencing the past, hoping to move the congregation to the future,” said Strode.
