Plymouth Congregational Church
Syracuse, New York
The Congregational Church in Syracuse was one of the hotbeds of abolitionist acitivity in central New York. No story of the Freedom Trail in Syracuse can be complete without an understanding of the role of this church and its members.
Organized in 1838, At its original site on E. Genesee Street (just west of the Courier Building), the church hosted many abolitionist conventions, and its members were core organizers of the Freedom Trail. William M. Clarke, for example, was active in the rescue of Harriet Powell and others. Abner Bates, with his brother-in-law Ira Cobb, were key players in the rescue of William “Jerry” Henry.
The first building was a small frame church on East Genesee Street, on Block 103, next to the Courier Building. In the 1850s, the congregation split into the Park Street Presbyterian Church and Plymouth Congregational Church, partly over issues relating to slavery, Plymouth Congregational Church built a chapel in 1854-55 on the site of the present building. About 1858, they laid the cornerstone for a brick building, which was completed in 1859. Part of that building was incorporated into an enlarged structure in 1871 and in 1889-90.
A comparison of church members with lists of abolitionists would be very useful, in terms of understanding the importance of this congregation to the Freedom Trail. A list of abolitionist meetings held in this church would also be useful and would lead to a much fuller history of the this church’s involvement with abolitionism and the Freedom Trail.