24. Mt. Pisgah AME Church

Named after a mountain ridge in ancient Palestine mentioned in the Old Testament, this 1832 Methodist Church, at the corner of Witherspoon and Maclean Streets, is the oldest of the four colored churches in Princeton. Organized by Samson Peters, a preacher in the Trenton AME Church, the congregation met in a frame house on Witherspoon Street until 1835, when the first church building was constructed. The present structure was built in 1850. A tiny cemetery in the yard has tombstones dating back to the 1850s. In 1971, Rev. Leon Gibson, Sr. felt his greatest contribution to the church was his role in keeping the family of Mt. Pisgah together in the face of the high cost of living, scarce housing, fewer jobs, and an aging population.