History

In 1914, the St. James African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Temple congregation purchased two lots of land at 624 North Good Latimer. When the congregation was ready to build a brick and concrete church in 1919, they hired William Sydney Pittman, Dallas’ first African American architect, to design the church. Donations were received from all over the United States to fund the construction of the beautiful Neoclassical building.

Built between 1919 and 1921, the church was constructed entirely by African American contractors and building crews. The church was dedicated in 1921 and housed the St. James AME congregation for 64 years. In the 1920s and 30s, the congregation grew substantially from its original 325 members. The construction of an underpass under the Houston and Central rail yard increased the flow of traffic past the church and into Deep Ellum, the area’s African American shopping district. At its height in the 1940s, the church membership was the largest AME congregation in North America.

Throughout the years, the congregation made slight alterations to the church. In 1983, local developer Richard Finley purchased the church, and gutted and renovated the building for a law firm. The law firm occupied the building until 1998, when the Meadows Foundation purchased the church. The Meadows Foundation renovated and rehabilitated the interior as offices and restored the exterior facades to preserve this important example of Pittman’s architecture. The building now houses offices for the Mental Health Association of Greater Dallas and The Conference of Southwest Foundations.

About the Architecture

The St. James AME Church is a stunning example of Neoclassical design. The architectural elements feature:

• A large gabled portico with massive white concrete columns dominating the front façade
• A masonry platform (or podium) that supports the columns
• A pedimented cornice with a stained glass transom
• Four step-shouldered brick buttresses framing the three central wood [word is missing from original source]
• Stained glass windows in the second story windows
• Third story arched wood lucarnes glazed with opalescent glass

When the interior was gutted in 1983, the historic elements were removed. The exterior has also lost original design elements, including:

• A pair of stairways and balustrades flanked the portico to create a formal entry for church members from the street.
• The original central entry doors and those on each side were replaced by glass doors, although the stained glass transoms have been retained.
• Above the portico, the pediment once contained a round stained glass window, now replaced with a circular wood vent.
• The platform supporting the column had three segmented arches, which are now filled with windows.
• The original hipped roof was punctuated at the center by a metal drum that supported a metal dome and oculus.
• The oculus once illuminated the interior of the building. It was constructed of stained opalescent glass and featured a center piece embellished with the “eyes of God.” The design incorporated a circular band with a dedication by the principal donors, “W.M. McDonald, Jr. By his parents.” The oculus is now concealed beneath a pent roof that provides for turbine vents, communication antennae, and lightning rods.

Tour Information

Visitors may tour the St. James AME church by appointment Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Tours begin at Preservation Dallas or in the St. James AME parking lot. Visitors will learn about William Sydney Pittman’s role as a pioneer architect, the architectural history of the building and the surrounding area, and the history of the African American congregation.

For more information or to schedule a tour, please contact Jennie Magann at Preservation Dallas at (214) 821-3290