Stephen Marz, Director & State Archivist, Delaware Public Archives; Deacon Dorothy Guy, Pastor Deborah Lewis, Elder Janet Bratten and Elder Ralph Bradley of the Mount Olive Holiness Pentecostal Church; Representative William J. Carson and Kent County Levy Court Commissioner Joanne Masten. – Contributed Photo
On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, Stephen Marz, Director, Delaware State Archives and State Archivist joined with Pastor Deborah Lewis, Representative William J. Carson, Kent County Levy Court Commissioner Joanne Masten, and members of the Mouth Olive Holiness Pentecostal Church in Smyrna to celebrate the installation of a new State of Delaware Historical Marker. The structure located at 139 N. East Street in Smyrna was originally built in 1876 by members of the Centennial Methodist Episcopal Church, and then served as the meeting place for St. John’s Masonic Lodge No. 7 from 1918 to 1935. Since 1935, it has been the home of the Mount Olive Holiness Pentecostal Church congregation who continue to worship there today.
Historical Marker Text for Mount Olive Holiness Pentecostal Church:
Built in 1876 by local members of Centennial Methodist Episcopal Church, the first African American congregation to worship in the building, the two-story, three bay frame church with a gabled end would serve as a house of worship until the late 1910s. In 1918, the building was bought and used by St. Johns Masonic Lodge No. 7 until 1935, when it would be purchased by Mount Olive Holiness Pentecostal Church. Organized in 1930 by Reverend Ancle A. Manns, Mount Olive Holiness congregation has worshiped at this location since 1935. In 1980, the church was included in the Smyrna Historic District and added to the National Register of Historic Places.
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~ Delaware Public Archives
As the repository for records of Delaware state and local governments, the Delaware Public Archives contains millions of documents and other materials that can help with researching one’s genealogical roots. Among these records are census materials, vital statistics including birth, death, and marriage records; tax assessments, probate/estate records, land deeds, and military records.
The Delaware Public Archives also preserves a large amount of genealogically related materials that were of private origin. These records include family histories, bible records, church records, manuscript genealogies, and newspapers.