The building now housing Girls Inc. down Worthen Street was once the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Zion Church. This is a historically African-American denomination based in the United States. It was officially formed in 1821 in New York City, but operated for a number of years before then. For many decades, this building held services for the Worthen Street AME Zion Church, the Worthen Street Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Church of All Nations. In 1945, this building served as a meeting place for the Merrimack Valley branch of the NAACP in the early days after its founding.
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Although the building now serves Girls Incorporated of Lowell, in the 1920s, this building also served diverse youth from across the city, as the Church of All Nations. While the Church of All Nations as an organization owned the building, further research from the 1926 Lowell city directory shows the same space was used by multiple congregations. This is not untypical for churches. In the 1920s, in addition to the Church of All Nations, the Worthen Street African Methodist Episcopal Church worshiped and worked out of the very same space.
For many decades, this building was home to the Worthen Street Methodist Episcopal Church, and one congregation that met in this building for services was the Worthen Street African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church. In 1945, this building became home to the Lowell Girls Club, and also served as a meeting place for the Merrimack Valley branch of the NAACP in the early days after its founding. In 1990, the Lowell Girls Club became Girls Incorporated of Lowell.
(Thanks Lowell National Historical Park)
