Roberts Memorial United Methodist Church is the oldest black
Methodist Church in Alexandria. Prior to 1830, the Black
Methodist in Alexandria, Virginia was members of the white
Trinity Methodist Church. By 1830, the Black Methodist
established their own Church called Davis Chapel after their
white Minister. After 1844, Davis Chapel Church renamed their
Church to Roberts Chapel due to a split within the Methodist
Church on the issue of slavery. The Church was located between
two Black neighborhoods called the “Bottoms” and “Hayti.” Prior
to the civil war, Roberts Chapel organized a Sabbath school and
a secular school, that met at the church until Alexandria
retrocedes to Virginia in 1847. After the civil war, the school
reopened. Roberts Chapel members were freed and enslaved people.
This section will talk about some of their members and the
impact they had on the history of Alexandria.