Joplin’s early black community worshiped in any place they could find homes, store buildings, or wherever. More fortunate ones met in simple wooden church-houses. But a 1902 tornado wiped out two of their churches, leaving them homeless. Sympathetic to their plight, Joplin millionaire Thomas Connor paid for construction of three brick churches in 1903. Of the three buildings, only the African Methodist Episcopal (now the Handy Chapel A.M.E. Church) remains. The church and its people are a testament to the faith, sacrifice, and endurance of the African-American community in Joplin.

Leslie Simpson, director of the Post Memorial Art Reference Library and advocate for Joplin’s historic architecture, has always had a soft spot for the old A.M.E. Church. Prominent Joplin architect August Michaelis designed the simple Gothic-style structure; very few of his structures still exist. She has watched with alarm as the building deteriorated, knowing that the aging congregation did not have the resources to restore it. She mentioned her concerns to members of the Joplin Historic Preservation Commission, who began investigating what might be done to preserve the historic church. Simpson worked with Bob Morton to determine appropriate renovations and paint colors that would preserve the integrity of the structure.