St. James AME Zion Church (Ithaca, New York)

St. James AME Zion Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	116-118 Cleveland Ave., Ithaca, New York
Coordinates	42°26′16″N 76°30′17″W / 42.43778°N 76.50472°W / 42.43778; -76.50472
Area	less than one acre
Built	1836
NRHP reference No.	82003407[1]
Added to NRHP	July 22, 1982

St. James AME Zion Church is a historic African Methodist Episcopal Zion church located at Ithaca in Tompkins County, New York. It is a two-story, frame church structure set on a high foundation and featuring a four-story entrance tower. The church structure was begun in the 1830s and modified many times since. The original stone meetinghouse was built in 1836 and is believed to be Ithaca's oldest church and one of the oldest in the AME Zion system.

Historically, the church has played an important role in the history of Ithaca. During the 19th century, it was the site of abolitionist activity, both by ministers there and as a stop on the Underground Railroad. In the 20th century, the church was the site of the foundation of Alpha Phi Alpha, the nation's first official African American fraternity, and it also held early meetings of the NAACP in the region. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.