The Abyssinian Is Visited By Black New England Conference Attendees

  

Yesterday afternoon the Abyssinian Meeting House was visited by a group attending the 4th Annual Black New England Conference.  Wells Staley-Mays, board member for the Maine Freedom Trail, conducted the “two hour special” tour which also included the Eastern Cemetery and the Quaker Meeting House.

The twenty-two or so participants are attending the Conference at the University of New  Hampshire, Durham.  The first part of the pre-conference agenda was a tour of the Portsmouth (N.H.) Black Heritage Trail led by Valerie Cunningham, its executive director.  Please visit www.seacoastNH.com/blackhostory for more information.  The second part of the day was spent here in Portland.

The Abyssinian just recently received the city council’s approval to receive over $100,000 in Federal stimulus money to replace the building’s roof.  From there the AByssinian hopes to receive more funds that will advance the resotration of the interior of the historic buiding and consequently open it to the public for the community’s use.

For more information on the Annual Black New England Conference, please visit www.necjulture.org or call Jerrianne Boggis at (603) 494-4475.