If you stand at the corner of Vine and Cross streets, you will be looking out on 5 acres of historical property that stretches out to Knowles Avenue. The area is known as the Triangle and consists of 18 houses and the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church.
According to a historical study by Janice Cunningham and Elizabeth Warner entitled “Experiment in Community: An African-American Neighborhood, Connecticut 1847-1930,” the Triangle was founded in 1847 by Leverett C. Beman—a shoemaker, son to an abolitionist preacher, and the grandson of a slave.
The Triangle, Cunningham and Warner claim, was a thriving community from its inception. Many of its earliest residents were able to pay off their mortgages and keep the property in their families for generations.
In their research, Cunningham and Warner also state that the Triangle is the first known, and quite possibly the only, attempt at an African-American community in the state of Connecticut in the 19th century.
The A.M.E. Church has been a part of the Triangle for about 140 years. Originally located on Church Street where the Science Tower currently stands, it then moved to Cross Street in 1867. In fact, the street owes its name to the church as the residents of the Triangle renamed the street after the cross that adorned the top of the church.
Except for 4 houses and the church, the University owns most of the Triangle. Many of these houses in fact are used for senior housing.
According to Marcia Bromberg, Vice President for Finance and Administration, the University has procured various properties in the Triangle over the last 25 years, only recently becoming aware of its significance. The University has announced plans to procure the church building in the near future.
“We will purchase the church shortly, but the congregation will continue using it until their new church is built on part of the long lane property they will purchase from us,” Bromberg said.
The church’s congregation has been steadily expanding, compelling the church to move to a more accommodating space, according to Lynn, a spokesperson for the church.
“We need a larger church, we need more space and larger facilities,” Lynn said. “We do not even have a separate facility to Sunday school in the mornings.”
She also added that the church does not have a parking lot.
The University is committed to preserving its properties in the Triangle, according to Bromberg.
“We have gotten information from Liz Warner on which buildings are most significant and plan to preserve them indefinitely. However, immediate plans are to leave all structures in place,” Bromberg said.
The University has larger plans to eventually move the Archeology Collection, currently in the Science Center, into the church building, and is also considering running an archeological dig on the site.
“Members of the Cross Street A.M.E. Zion Church congregation are thrilled with these plans,” Bromberg said.
Several University committees, including the University Space Committee and the Master Plan Executive Committee, will meet in the future to plan and recommend ways to use the historical property.
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