St. Paul United Methodist Church was founded more than 150 years ago by former slaves soon after news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas in 1865.
According to church historian Oscar Gooden, before the slaves were free, they worshiped with their master in the balcony.
The church has called several locations home through the years.
"One of the original locations is actually called The Spire in an area the city renamed St. Paul Square," Gooden said.
The church has been at its current location since 1922, but Gooden says the history of the church is not just he building, it's not just the facility, it's the people, the ministries.
"Oprah" singer Marian Anderson, poet Langston Hughes and Justice Thurgood Marshall are just some of the notable people to have spent time at the church. Gooden says, "Whenever you look at anything that occurred in those early years the path always came through St. Paul."
African Americans were not allowed to attend or hold functions, concerts or political speeches at other venues in the city and therefore the church was often home to a wide range of gatherings.
For its longevity, Gooden credits the churches ability to stay relative and adapt during changing times: "It is more than service on Sunday it is that place people can come and receive information and excel themselves for the coming week."
For an interactive timeline and photos of the churches' history, visit stpaulofsanantonio.com/about.