05/08/2026
We are glad to welcome the community as part of the Old Mandeville Historic Association Mother's Day Home Tour on Sunday! Stop in and say "Hi!!"
Newell Christian Chapel, circa 1886
Newell Christian Chapel was founded in 1865 and formally chartered in 1869 by the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church South; the document declares its role “…as a place for divine worship…a place for the education of children without any distinction as regards race, color, or previous condition.”
The present building is the second church building on the site. It was built under the guidance of Reverend Moses Fairfax in 1886, and it is recognized as the mother church of the African American churches in Mandeville, serving as a central hub for the African American community beginning in Reconstruction.
The church reflects four architectural phases: the original bargeboard construction with white clapboard siding, a 1917 enclosed rear porch, a 1971 brick façade encasing the original building, and a 2000 addition of church offices.
The church property was sold recently to private owners who are working diligently to maintain the building’s historic purpose by hosting congregations and community meetings. The Old Mandeville Historic Association holds its quarterly lecture series in this venerable church.
Please note the unusual beaded-board barrel ceiling in the sanctuary, revealed after the removal of 1970s-era acoustic tiles. On the tour today this space will be a cool rest and rejuvenation spot along the way.
Restoration of this chapel and the adjacent 1946 parsonage is ongoing.
Tour information: https://www.oldmandevillehistoricassociation.org/copy-of-mother-s-day-home-tour-2025