Steven William Lindsey: Walking the grounds of the old church

The Zion Korean Church next to Franklin County’s YMCA on Main Street in Greenfield, which once played host to abolitionists Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, is slated for demolition.

The Zion Korean Church next to Franklin County’s YMCA on Main Street in Greenfield, which once played host to abolitionists Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, is slated for demolition. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

Published: 09-10-2024 5:38 PM

I drove down to see the old abolition church, also known as the Zion Korean Church on Main Street last Sunday. The white church is expected to be dismantled by the YMCA next door to make room for the their child care center. The demolition contract signed. The church has a compelling history: abolitionists Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison spoke from its pulpit. I walked around the church grounds, feeling their presence. It must have been the same with the Tremont Baptist Church in Macon, Georgia. The great brick church was MLK’s church when he visited that southern city. It was Macon’s center for its part of the civil rights movement. I will never able to visit it, though. It was razed for a franchise donut shop. Economists would argue that providing the tasty pastries to the public is more important than history. So not wanting to miss out in Greenfield too, I walked the grounds. My thoughts were on Douglass and Garrison. Others who appreciate history should also make the trip before the bulldozer rolls.

Steven William Lindsey

Keene, New Hampshire

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