St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Buffalo, New York, was founded in 1861 and originally led by a White clergyman. Four years later, Rev. Samuel L. Berry became the church’s first Black full-time rector. He established St. Philip’s as a home for Black Protestant Episcopalians, designating it as one of the original seven Black Episcopal congregations in the United States.
Recently, the University at Buffalo, an institution within the State University of New York System, has received a collection of historic materials from St. Philip’s dating back to the church’s founding. Housed within the UB Libraries, the archive contains materials relating to the church’s history, its involvement in anti-slavery movements, and cultural insights on the history of Buffalo’s Black community.
The St. Philip’s Episcopal Church Collection can be accessed here.
