Stroudsburg Little Bethel Historical Association

The Stroudsburg Little Bethel Historical Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church building on North Third Street in Stroudsburg, PA. The organization’s mission is to establish and maintain the structure as a viable physical and historical facility, serving the community as an historical site and museum.True to its background, the old church will chronicle the area's early history of people of color and others who have made significant contributions. It will serve as a showcase for culture that spans the years.

Stroudsburg's Little Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church is a landmark structure in Monroe County's historical and cultural landscape. The building deserves preservation. We have made strides, but have much more to do. The modest brick building on Third Street doesn't look like much but, as the county's first church built by and for African-American worshippers, it represents an important part of local history. It was built in 1868 by Black soldiers who has returned from fighting for the Union during the Civil War. It kept its doors open for more than a century until closing in the 1970s and falling into disrepair.

Nonprofit Little Bethel Historical Association has accomplished a lot in recent years, straightening out a dispute over the deed, settling old utility bills, razing a later addition. repairing a long leaking roof, and adding an accessible bathroom to name a few. The association hopes to restore the church to resemble the orginal structure as closely as possible and to operate it as a historic site, museum, library, and community space. Visitors can learn about the 19th and early 20th century African American community in an overwhelmingly white county, and how the church served as a magnet for these families over the decades. This church will also serve as a repository for more current African American history.

Volunteers have spent countless hours and funds working toward this restoration. Much has been done and still more needs to be accomplished. We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel toward this restoration. Much has been done and still more needs to be  accomplished. There is a solid plan ahead. Little Bethel looks better today than it has in years. Much more work remains.The major issue is restoring the brickwork.

Little Bethel is just one of the many sites around the county that reflect bygone days in Monroe County. Community support is vital to the restoration effort, and that support needn't be money alone. A good hearted person with energy could help us. We will gratefully receive any donations. Any participation local residents and businesses can provide, will help ensure that historic Little Bethel AME will be around for generations to come.