Steward Chapel Church

One of Marion old historic churches was the Steward Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church that was located on North Maple Street in Marion.  It's congregation was of Black people.  

The beautiful and stately old church was rebuilt in 1916 under the pastorate of Rev. P. W. Garrett.  The plot of ground on which the church and parsonage stood was given by Mr. Herrod Travis.  Herrod Travis was a brick maker and had his old kiln.

The church was closed in the late seventies and the beautiful building torn down.  Today there is only the foundation of the church.  It's hard to think that this church once stood on this place.

The picture on the left is all that remains of the church.

After the close of the Civil War, the great increase in the business zone in Marion, plus the movement of freed slaves from the farms to the cities to secure employment called for additional mercantile lots and an industry for Marion.  Herrod Travis, an ex-slave got several former brick-maker's and founded the kiln that produced most of the brick, if not all, used in Marion's construction before 1917.  The ally way on the North side of this addition later widened into a street named Travis Street in his honor, and the North-South Street is now called Maple Street.

This is a picture of the office of Herrod Travis that was located in this area.  The old building has been gone many many years.