by Tammy Taylor
Staff Writer
Weather permitting, the concrete foundation marking the beginning of renovations to the historic Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church will be complete by the end of the week.
The first addition to Mt. Zion, which is located on the corner of Beaver and Newnan streets, will be the installation of an elevator to accommodate the rising number of senior citizens attending church services.
“There is no way to enter the church without using stairs,” said church secretary Clarence Brown. “Also, the church is surrounded by senior citizens high-rises. The elevator will help the elderly and the handicapped when they want to attend church.”
Between 30 and 40 percent of the congregation falls into the senior citizen category, while the next largest age group is children.
To accommodate for the growth of the church’s youth department, four classrooms will be added.
Financial contributions are responsible for about 50 percent of the money being used to pay for the renovations, while the remaining amount is being financed by Bank of America.
The Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church was established in 1866 from the Society for Religious Worship, a group organized by several dozen men freed after the Civil War. The church was built on present-day Beaver Street in 1902. A fire destroyed the building in 1903, but was rebuilt the same year.
Renovations are expected to be finished by May.