A National Trust Historic Site, the African Meeting House is the only public structure remaining on the island that is identifiably central to the history of the African community of the 18th and 19th centuries. This meeting house was the centerpiece of Nantucket Island's free African American community during the height of the whaling industry in the 19th century.

The small post-and-beam building dates from about 1827, when it was a church, a school for African children, and a meeting house. This once-segregated community, south of Nantucket Town, touched the lives of escaped slaves, Native Americans, Cape Verdeans, Quakers, educators, and abolitionists.

The African Meeting House is owned and operated by the Museum of African American History. See the website for seasonal hours.