An artist’s sketch of the Mount Zion AME Church in Riverton depicts the current church building shortly after it was erected in 1931.
Friends and relatives gathered at Mount Zion AME Church in Riverton for a solemn occasion in November of 1962, the funeral of longtime parishioner Goldsborough Benjamin Jones.
Suddenly there was a buzz of excitement outside, and someone came into the church and said to Jones’ son, Clarence, “Dr. Jones, Martin Luther King Jr. is here and he wants to speak.”
“He doesn’t know my father,” said the younger Jones, who was helping the Southern Christian Leadership Conference mobilize large, non-violent protests for the Civil Rights movement when he learned that his father had died.
Dr. King – unbeknownst to Clarence – decided to travel to Riverton for the funeral.
“I know my friend Brother Clarence is probably surprised that I am here,” King acknowledged. “I did not know the deceased, Goldsborough Benjamin Jones, but I know his son.”
King’s visit is one of many highlights in the history of Mt. Zion, a place of worship for African Americans in Palmyra, Riverton and Cinnaminson since 1897.
Clarence B. Jones grew up in East Riverton with his parents, who worked as a butler and maid in the home of Edgar and Eleonora Lippincott at 806 Main St. He delivered his first major speech as valedictorian of the Palmyra High School Class of 1949, urging his fellow students to reach for their dreams.
Mt. Zion – at 300 Penn St. in Riverton – began as a station church that supported young Black women who migrated to the Philadelphia area for domestic work. Alice B. Taylor, its founder, provided guidance and spiritual leadership to the women.
The original church building was erected in 1909, but was struck by lightning in 1929. Parishioners constructed a new building in 1931 that has since been recognized on both the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places.
Mt. Zion – originally called Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church – will get a makeover Saturday, July 26 from 10 a.m. to noon during the “Serve with Sen. (Troy) Singleton” cleanup day in honor of the church’s 128th anniversary.
Singleton is seeking volunteers to help rejuvenate and spruce up the church. They will be asked to perform tasks such as dusting, mopping, window cleaning, kitchen and bathroom scrubbing and organizing.
“Each month, we look for ways to serve and uplift our communities, and I can’t think of a more meaningful place to hold our 75th event than Mt. Zion AME Church,” Singleton noted. “For over a century, Mt. Zion has been a pillar of strength and hope in Riverton and beyond.
“We are honored to celebrate their 128th anniversary through service.”
The church has a rich history dating back to the late 1800s and has long been at the forefront of community engagement, providing spiritual, emotional, financial and physical refuge during major moments in history. They include the Great Migration of Blacks who escaped Jim Crow in the South by moving northward, the Depression, and, most recently, COVID.
Anyone interested in volunteering with the senator can sign up at https://www.troysingleton.com/mtzion.
The makeover will help the church continue its ministry for another 128 years as a beacon of hope, faith and love to its parishioners.
