The Gordon Parks Museum will host a grand opening event and dedication
ceremony for the Wayman Chapel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church Commemorative Park on
Thursday, October 2, at 4:30 p.m. as part of the Gordon Parks Celebration events.
The commemorative park is located at 301 S. Lowman Street in Fort Scott, on the historic site that was once
home to the oldest Black church in Fort Scott. The land, formerly the property of Wayman Chapel AME
Church, was generously donated to the Gordon Parks Museum by Fort Scott resident Josh Jones, through the
Fort Scott Community College Foundation.
Photo Courtesy of and Copyright by The Gordon Parks Foundation
(left to right) Josh Jones, Kirk Sharp, Gordon Parks Museum, and Sarah Smith, Fort Scott Community College Foundation. Submitted photo.
The church was regularly attended by Gordon Parks and his family, and was even featured in a scene from
Parks’ acclaimed film, The Learning Tree.
Originally established in 1866, the church moved to its final location at Third and Lowman in 1885, where it
stood for more than 115 years as a spiritual and cultural cornerstone of Fort Scott’s Black community.
Declining membership and unsafe building conditions eventually led to its condemnation and demolition in the
early 2000s.
While the building is gone, its legacy endures: two original stained-glass windows, two pews, and
other archival objects from the church are now preserved in the Gordon Parks Museum’s permanent collection.
The property has since been transformed into a commemorative, low-maintenance park honoring the legacy of
the church.
AME Church
Gordon Parks, 1950.
Photo Courtesy of and Copyright by The Gordon Parks Foundation. Submitted photo.
The new display signage includes four large storyboard panels (76” x 27”) featuring photos,
graphics, and text that highlight the church’s rich history and its vital role in the local Black community. These
panels are installed on a concrete slab beneath a pergola structure (12’ x 20’). In addition, a large 4’ x 3’
welcome sign will greet visitors at the park entrance.
The commemorative park is funded in part by Kansas Tourism and made possible with generous support from:
Armstrong Pressure Washing, LLC, Bourbon County Historical Association, City of Fort Scott, Fort Scott Area
Community Foundation, Fort Scott Community College Foundation, The Healthy Bourbon County Action
Team’s Local Health Equity Action Team (LHEAT), Josh Jones, Rick Mayhew, My One Stop, Marbery
Concrete, Inc. and McKenney Masonry, LLC.