Peter who?

I can't believe it's already August! Where did the summer go?

I'm really pleased with the narrative that I've been able to develop for the tour of Wilmington. Of great help are two books by University of Delaware history professor emeritus Carol E. Hoffecker: Wilmington, Delaware: Portrait of an Industrial City (1974) and Corporate Capital: Wilmington in the Twentieth Century (1983). If you want to learn more about this area, I would recommend adding these titles to your summer reading list.

Unfortunately, I keep coming across fascinating stories that don't fit with the tour's focus on the city's industrial and economic development. Luckily for me, I can blog about those things instead! So here's your weekly dose of Wilmington trivia.

Did you know that Peter Spencer founded this nation's first independent African American church in Wilmington? Born a slave in Kent County, Maryland, Spencer (1779-1843) was freed following the death of his master and came to Wilmington, where he joined the Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1805, upset by the church’s treatment of blacks, he and about 40 others walked out and formed their own congregation. They continued to associate with the denomination until further interference by the white congregation led to the creation of the African Union Methodist Protestant Church (A.U.M.P.) in 1813.

During a major urban renewal project in 1967, the city decided to build new office buildings for federal and state employees. The Mother A.U.M.P. Church occupied the site that the city selected for this project. After a period of negotiation, the congregation relocated and the city demolished the church building. In its place the city created "Peter Spencer Plaza" on French Street between 8th and 9th Streets (left). At the heart of the plaza is a statue that commemorates Peter Spencer (below). "Father and Son" (1973) by Delaware sculptor Charles Cropper Parks depicts a black male figure cradling a sleeping child in his arms. Larger-than-life and dressed in a t-shirt and jeans, the man is not a direct representation of the religious leader but rather a symbol of the hope in the future that he inspired. The remains of Peter Spencer, his wife Annes, and ten of his followers are interred in a vault beneath the statue.

Today the plaza is a very quiet place. Every now and then a government worker will pass through, or rest for a few minutes in the shade, but few actually stop to look at the statue. In contrast, the memory of Peter Spencer is at the heart of the Big Quarterly, which will be held at the end of this month at locations throughout Wilmington. This festival, which has been held annually since 1814, brings African Americans together to celebrate religious freedom.