Allen AME Church reopens as East Lynne Theater home
CAPE MAY — It’s been a long time coming, but the newly renovated former Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church officially opened as the new home of East Lynne Theater Company on May 22.
The rain did not stop the community from gathering to celebrate a moment of historic preservation and a new beginning, but it did move the event inside the fire station.
All members of Cape May City Council were in attendance, as well as members of the county Open Space Board and Cape May County Board of County Commissioners.
“It’s fitting that we moved this opening here inside the fire hall, because it was the firemen who worked out of the previous fire station that crossed the street to essentially save the church,” City Manager Paul Dietrich said, referring to a fire that damaged the church in 2018.
He thanked the many people involved in the building’s restoration, including former Historic Preservation Commission chairman Warren Coupland, the design team and architects.
“For generations, the Allen AME Church stood not only as a place of worship, but as a beacon of hope, faith and perseverance,” Mayor Zack Mullock said. “It was held together not just by bricks and mortar, but by hands and hearts of devoted church members, some of them are here today.”
Mullock added that the transformation and restoration of the church took vision and partnership.
“I want to thank the taxpayers of Cape May, who recognize that preserving our history is an invaluable endeavor, part of which makes up the very fabric of what makes Cape May so special,” the mayor said.
“I especially want to thank East Lynn Theater; I know that you will be wonderful stewards of this building, adding even more culture and vibrancy to this block,” Mullock said. “This building represents Cape May as a community, and a major part of our history, one that was close to disappearing.”
The restored church is surrounded by Black history, with the Harriet Tubman Museum, Macedonia Baptist Church and the former Franklin Street School turned new city library.
ELTC President Susan Tischler thanked everyone in attendance, noting she was excited opening day had finally arrived.
Everyone “worked to preserve not just a building, but a valuable piece of history, and a piece of Cape May’s Black history which could have easily been erased,” she said.
After 40 years of sharing space at Cape May Presbyterian Church, ELTC now has its first permanent home.
“It was Mayor Mullock’s administration and council that saw the future of preserving the AME Church, not just as a museum but a living, breathing entity that could draw people to this restored neighborhood,” Tischler said. “From this day on, Cape May will no longer just be a historic seaside landmark, but a true cultural center where the arts are honored and thrive.”
Before the ribbon cutting, Mullock surprised the crowd by unveiling a new sign naming the street between the firehouse and new library.
“This road next to us has been unnamed for some time, and we got to thinking maybe we need to name this road,” Mullock said. “We thought about what would be the best name and thought of this person who was a student at the Franklin Street School, and also a member of the church across the street, and that is Emily Dempsey.”
Building background
The church is one of the few remaining historic sites after much of the area’s African American history was lost during an earlier period of urban renewal.
Cape May has been committed to preserving its Black history and creating functional community spaces. Just across from the church, another significant community building, the former Franklin Street School, reopened as the new city library in 2024.
The church itself is a symbol of freedom. It was built by Stephen Smith, a Black businessman who owned several properties in town in the late 19th century. An abolitionist and a leader of the Black community, he bought his own freedom from slavery for $50 and subsequently assisted the work of the Underground Railroad.
In June 2018, a moving truck caught and pulled a nearby utility line into the church’s steeple, which subsequently caught fire. The fire burned for almost two hours, causing serious damage to the bell tower and parts of the interior.
In 2021, Preservation New Jersey named the church one of the state’s 10 most endangered historic places, which made the site safe from demolition (and from a transformation into a parking lot, a critical need in the tourist town).
The city purchased the building in 2021 with the blessing of the former congregation. As an agreement with the city, ELTC is to act as caretaker to maintain and preserve the physical structure and uphold the legacy of the Black church and the community that supported it.
Present day
ELTC received a donation from Cape May resident Chris Clemans on behalf of her late husband, Dave, and the site will be called the Clemans Theatre for the Arts.
ELTC is working to raise money through its capital campaign to build an annex that would include housing, office space, green rooms and more for its equity actors.
An opening photography exhibit, “Through the Lens,” will run through mid-July. It is focused on the city’s Black history. The exhibit is inspired by the book “Black Voices of Cape May: A Feeling of Community,” by the Community History Committee of the Center for Community Arts.
Visit eastlynntheater.org for more information on ELTC’s current season and tickets.
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
