The congregation of the church has been housed in this building since May 9, 1949, when Mary McLeod Bethune (1875–1955) gave the dedication speech to an overflowing audience. The church, which has had four locations, originated as an African American church in 1818 on the north side of Beacon Hill. When the church was located in Lower Roxbury in 1916, the Women’s Home Missionary Society, under the leadership of Hattie B. Cooper (1862–1949), provided services for the growing population of African Americans in that area. The Hattie B. Cooper Community Center at 1891 Washington Street continues to provide services to children.
