Portsmouth's African Methodist Episcopal Church's first house of worship was located on the southwest corner of Fourth and Market Streets. What is today known as Allen (AME) Chapel has its origins in here in 1837 when "Father Charleston" organized the society in what was then commonly known as the Wheeler Academy building, and had previously served as the place of worship of Portsmouth's original Methodist Society. The AME Church would meet here from 1837 to 1842, when the congregation acquired their own city lot and built a wood framed church on the north side of Fifth Street, between Court and Market.