Church has a rich proud history. It is the oldest active African American church in Baltimore County, Maryland. Gilboa was built in 1859 by free Black people as the replacement of an earlier log chapel. The lower level of the church served as a one-room school in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Its history is also associated with Benjamin Banneker, often referred to as the "First African America
n Man of Science." He was a free African American astronomer, mathematician, surveyor, almanac author and farmer. Many believe Mr. Banneker worshiped in the site’s log chapel. The name "Mount Gilboa" attached itself to the church by an indirect means. The ground occupied by the church was first surveyed under the name "Stout" in 1702 for Thomas Beale. In 1761, William Williams, who owned part of the original 529-acre Stout tract, had his 329-acre portion resurveyed under the new name of Mount Gilboa. In 1803, the Ellicott brothers, who had acquired numerous scattered properties, had a large acreage which stretched over a mile along the Patapsco Valley resurveyed into one tract (with more than 130 boundary lines) under the title of "West Ilchester". This resurvey drew new lines around – and included within its boundaries – the former to***co farm of Benjamin Banneker which the Ellicotts bought from him in about 1799. The resurvey tract skirted around and excluded a 10-acre plot which the certificate of survey showed as “Negroes’ Lott.” The lot was part of “Mount Gilboa” and in 1786 Mary Williams (a Quaker and widow of William Williams) bequeathed it to her former slaves. The free people who owned that tract formed the basis for the Mount Gilboa Chapel congregation and many of their descendants still hold lots in that original 10-acre tract. The chapel property was formed in two parcels. The part at the new corner of Westchester and Oella Avenues was a 0.84-acre tract costing $50.00, which was conveyed as the cemetery lot from the Union Bank of Maryland to the Free African Burying Ground Association on July 10, 1946. The upper end of the property was a 0.25-acre plot called The Meeting House Lot and its lines are described in an 1846 certificate of survey in the possession of the trustees. The certificate mentions a lot, log house, and school house which was previously "set out … the same now lying within the outlines of Lot 4." All this ground had been Ellicott property and the chapel portion was a gift by from the family to the congregation. It is clear that the congregation had use of the meeting house lot and had built upon it or employed the existing structure before acquiring title under the certificate. The existing church structure was built in 1830 and dedicated in 1859. The presence of Mt. Gilboa Chapel as an African Meeting House and burial lot was documented in 1799 when the Reverend William Colbert of the Methodist Episcopal Church was recorded preaching and performing a burial service for a Banneker relative on September 22, 1799. Gilboa is documented as associated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church as early as the first Annual Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland. The following is an excerpt from Scraps of African Methodist Episcopal History by the Rt. Reverend James Anderson Handy, 22nd elected and consecrated bishop of the A.M.E. Church (emphasis added):
The first Annual Conference of the A.M.E. Church met in Baltimore, Md., April 12th, 1817. This session was held in the home of Mr. Samuel Williams (a fine two-story building), on High street. Members present were Bishop Richard Allen, who presided; Revs. Daniel Coker, Richard Williams, Edward Waters, Henry Harden, Don Carlos Hall; Revs. Jacob Tapsico and James Champion were visitors from Philadelphia. At this session, Henry Harden, Edward Waters and Charles Pierce were recommended for and ordained Deacons. Some progress had been made financially, in securing additional church property at Sculltown and Mt. Gilboa, in Baltimore County. The appointments made by Bishop Allen were:
Rev. Henry Harden, Bethel Church, Baltimore, with oversight of Bearhill, Frederick Road, Mt. Gilboa, Sculltown and Fells' Point.*
On October 21, 1976, Mt. Gilboa was entered into the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1977 the State of Maryland selected Mt. Gilboa grounds as the site for an obelisk dedicated to the memory of Benjamin Banneker.
