Oakley Chapel A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) Church was founded in 1878 by freed slaves in the area. It is a simple one room, wood frame, gable style roof church building. Oakley was the first of three A.M.E. churches to be built in Callaway County, and was the last active A.M.E. church in county as well. It sits on one acre of land which was purchased for the sum total of $1 from William L. Kidwell, a Virginia born farmer. On a very interesting note, Kidwell's wife, Winifred, was the granddaughter of Presley Neville, who was a friend of George Washington and aide-de-camp to Marquis de Lafayette. Ben McCollough was Oakley's first pastor, and the church served the local community through services, revivals and community events. Oakley Chapel also served as a schoolhouse for black children in the area, who still experienced segregation and oppression within the public school system. The church stood strong through the economic ups and downs and the Great Depression, and absorbed the members of the other two churches after they closed. The last church service was held in the 1980s, though occasional events were held in the building up until the 2010s.
Sadly, in 2021, a group of teens broke into the building and vandalized it, causing extensive damage. There are plans to repair the church and possibly move it into a more visible area where local residents can keep an eye on it.
There is also a parsonage/dining hall located next to the church and a small graveyard located behind the church.
More information on Oakley Chapel can be found here:
https://www.oakleychapelame.org/history.html
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