Northport building gets sign detailing its history

Huntington Town and Northport Village officials gathered Tuesday to dedicate a new sign in front of a Northport home that once had another life — as the town’s second-oldest African Methodist Episcopal Church.

The building, at 54 Church St., has a distinctive steeple and now has a historic sign in front detailing the history of the Allen AME Church, which constructed the building in 1908.

“Many people didn’t know African Americans lived in Northport,” said Irene Moore, chairwoman of the town’s African American Historic Designation Council. “We just want to bring attention to the history of African Americans in Northport.”

The building served as a house of worship until 1965, when the church dissolved. Developers later turned the building into a residence, which had a succession of owners until Northport native Terence McNally bought the house with his wife, Barbara, in 1995.

“It’s somewhat of an honor to have the plaque and have people recognize it for what it was,” said McNally. “There was a lot of history in the house for the congregation and people in the village. It’s nice that it can be recognized.”