Groundsite Image Gallery
St. Luke AME Church
Artist: Hughes, Langston
Height: 0.000"
Width: 0.000"
The corner stone indicates the church was founded in 1862 and rebuilt in 1910. Langston Hughes lived two blocks from the church in 1909, 1913, and 1914.
In his autobiography he describes a revival at the church, at which he was “saved from sin when I was going on thirteen. But not really saved.” At that event he noted the “wonderful rhythmical sermon” (Big Sea 19).
In his 1932 visit to Lawrence, Hughes attended church with his aunt, then remarried to Walter Campbell (Rampersad v.1 234). On Nov. 26, 1942, the Lawrence newspaper reported Hughes returned to St. Luke to present a poetry reading, assisted by a local singing group and a K.U. student (Appendix 3). According to the paper, his aunt, Mrs. Walter Campbell, was also present. He appeared in Kansas City and Topeka on the same trip.