Historic Ben Salem A.M.E. Church, located at 1200 Bridgewater Road, Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania, was one of the early churches founded in the A.M.E. denomination.

It is the oldest black Church in Bensalem Township, a community just outside of Philadelphia, best known for being the site where Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment.

Under the leadership of Rev. James Miller, and the supervision of Bishop Richard Allen, a group of freed slaves founded the church on August 12, 1818. The area then was called Jerusalem. The church first was called Little Jerusalem A.M.E

The congregation evolved out of a camp meeting held in the woods owned by Squire Hibbs, a Quaker farmer who employed most of the black residents of the area. Four black families _ the Briggs, the Bosleys, the Fraizers and the Mounts _ were among the original settlers of the area, and the first members of the church.

During the early years of the church, the congregation met in various homes until they established a permanent structure in 1832, when the trustees of the church purchased the land and erected the current structure.

The wood-frame church is located on over an acre of tree-shaded property. A cemetery containing many of the church founders is adjacent to it.

One of the church's most prominent, and long-lived members, was Leroy Allen. He was born in 1839 in Leesburg, Virginia but came to Bensalem at a young age. He served in the Civil War and returned to be a valued member of the church . He died in 1931 after 67 years of service to the church and is buried in the cemetery.

Ben Salem A.M.E. was placed on the National Registry of Historic locations on December 3, 1980 under the leadership of then pastor, the Rev. Jeane Williams.

The church pulpit is reported to have been hand-crafted by Richard Allen , the founder of the A.M.E. Church, in 1922.

The Rev. John H. Fisher currently is pastor of the church. He is the 98th pastor of this historic church, which  celebrated its 180th anniversary in August.

The church currently is under going restoration. This shot of the pastor and congregation was taken two months ago.

The top picture is an artist's rendition of the church . The artist is William Long a member of the congregation.

The altar and pulpit of Historic Ben Salem A.M.E. Church

A Sunday afternoon rap session with the youth of the church