Foster Memorial AME Zion Church was founded in 1860 by Amanda and Henry
Foster, Rev. Jacob Thomas, and Hiram Jimerson. Amanda Foster, considered the "Mother
of the Church," was the driving force in the formation of the congregation
whose first meetings were held in her confectionery store. Born in New York in
1806, Amanda, in possession of her "free papers," obtained employment
as a nurse to Arkansas Governor Conway. While in Arkansas, she contributed to
the Underground Railroad movement by using her "free papers" to help
a young fugitive slave girl escape. She moved back to New York in 1837 and established
her business in Tarrytown where she met and married Henry Foster around 1845.
In 1865, after five years of the congregation meeting in the Foster confectionary
store and other business establishments, construction of the church began with
funds donated primarily by the local Dutch Reformed and Methodist congregations.
During the Civil War, members of Foster AME helped to provide food and shelter
to fugitive slaves escaping to Canada, and also provided assistance to those fugitive
slaves who decided to settle in Tarrytown. Like most AME churches, Foster AME
is a religious and social crossroads for the black community, providing a meeting
place for worship and a place for public interaction.
Foster Memorial AME Zion Church|
Photograph by Wes Haynes. Courtesy
of New York Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation.
Foster AME Zion
Church is located in Tarrytown, New York at 90 Wildey Street. It is open to the
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