Douglas Memorial Community Church
Oldest in Bolton Hill

Rev. Marion C. Bascom

Douglass Memorial Community Church split from Bethel A.M.E. forming its own congregation in 1925. Long time pastor Dr. Marion Bascom became intimately involved in civil rights. A Baltimore amusement park–Gwynn Oak, which was segregated until August 1963—became a flashpoint of the national Civil Rights Movement. Speaking about his involvement in the July 4, 1963 Gwynn Oak Park protests, Pastor Bascom stated:

“I am the one who said all along I will not go to jail, but I will help others who go. But this morning I said to myself, I have nothing to lose but my chains. So if I do not preach at my pulpit Sunday morning, it might be the most eloquent sermon I ever preached.”

Exterior View of Douglas Memorial

Interior view of Douglas Memorial

Designed by Thomas Balbirnie in the Greek Revival style as the Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church in 1857, the Douglas Memorial Community Church is one of the oldest public buildings in the area. Granite stairs and iron railings lead to the upper level main entrance. The brick columns sit on cast-iron bases and have a fluted cement stucco finish from the base to their Corinthian sandstone capitals. Several gas fixtures can still be found here. Red sandstone or “brownstone” sills and Greek Revival bracketed cornices trim the doorways and window openings. Similar styles are repeated in the interior chancel and balconies. Reportedly built and installed by E. & G. Hook in 1866, the organ stands with many of its original pipes. The Narthex floor is surfaced with a multi-colored ceramic tile. The “undercroft” was designed to seat 600 while the sanctuary seats 1,000.

1325 Madison Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217