Anna Bell Chapel

New Haven
Franklin County

When slavery ended after the Civil War, Anna Pryor Bell acquired farmland near the Missouri River in Franklin County where she and her neighbors built a log cabin church in 1865. As flooding was always a concern, the congregants of the African Methodist Episcopal Church purchased a lot in 1892 in a new subdivision of New Haven, overlooking the river and town below. Mrs. Bell traveled across the community and raised funds for the land and construction of the new church building, a one-story frame church with tall arched windows. Sometime after her death in 1905, the church was renamed Anna Bell Chapel in honor of the woman who was essential to the church’s founding and construction. The church functioned as a vital center of the Black community for 100 years until the five remaining, elderly congregants made the decision to close its doors in 1995. For the next 25 years, New Haven resident David Smith watched over Anna Bell Chapel, paid the insurance and utilities, and mowed the lawn. In 2020, he turned to the New Haven Preservation Society (NHPS) for help. Over the years, the building had settled on its sandstone piers, sinking into the dirt up to the wood siding on one side. All of the original furnishings remained in the church, but a number of the 130-year old windows had been damaged by wind, and the front doors were warped and unable to fully close. The NHPS arranged for a structural assessment of the building, which determined that the chapel needed to be temporarily lifted to allow for foundation repairs and stabilization. The NHPS was deeded ownership and started a capital campaign to raise funds for stabilization. By 2023, the NHPS raised enough funds to stabilize the structure and the building was set on its new foundation before the winter. However, the future of Anna Bell Chapel is not yet secure as the structure itself needs extensive work, from lead paint abatement, plaster repair, window restoration, and a set of new doors milled. In addition, new HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems need to be brought up to current standards. All of the original furnishings, including the hymnals and altar linens, are in storage and ready to be put in place once the church is ready. The goal is to utilize the Anna Bell chapel as a place for religious and educational gatherings, concerts, and community meetings. It is hoped that listing the Anna Bell Chapel as a Place in Peril will shine a light on the story and place preservation efforts before a wider range of potential donors throughout Missouri and beyond who want to help honor the legacy of the formerly enslaved people who founded the Anna Bell Chapel. Those wishing to help ongoing preservation efforts can visit newhavenpreservationsociety.org to learn more or click this link to donate.

Update: The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced on February 25, 2025 that Anna Bell Chapel (via New Haven Preservation Society) was selected as one of 30 historically Black Churches across the United States selected to receive a grant from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund new initiative, Preserving Place Churches (PBC) program. Read more about it here.

View All 2024 Places in Peril listings.