Ward Chapel AME Church
130 West Fourth Street
Prattville AL, 36067
Contact:
Rev. Thomas L. Franklin
Phone:
334-365-7962
Website:
www.wardchapelamechurch.com
The history of Ward Chapel goes back to the days of slavery, when its members were connected to the Methodist Church in Prattville. The first sanctuary, in 1843, was located south of Autauga Creek, across from the end of Chestnut Street. The building was a framed two-story structure, the upper level of which was fitted up as a church and the lower story as a store.
At the close of the Civil War, Daniel Pratt deeded the building for a church and school building for Negroes. The building served the black community until 1902, at which time it burned. A new building had already been constructed before the fire. This building was used until the 1990s, when a new modern sanctuary was built. The 1902 building now houses the Peoples Museum.