Praise house
A praise house was a type of vernacular religious architecture, typically built within the plantation complexes of the American South for the use of enslaved people who were legally bound to the property. Praise houses were a part of the early history of the black church, and there is evidence of Christian practice and praise houses from before the first organized black denominations.
It was often that people under enslavement would have to find and create their own places to practice religion or anything that gave them any sort of freedom. For example, congo-squares were a place where enslaved African Americans could gather to buy and sell things without punishment. However, these simply constructed church buildings were sometimes built by enslavers for their captives as they "regarded Christianity as a stabilizing influence over slaves" and after emancipation, the surviving structures "became important sources of leadership and community among freed African-Americans." Warship was often expected for enslaved African Americans and it was important to be good at music making in the church, not just passionate. Ministers could be expelled for performing poorly. The interiors were typically open and unstructured, which "mirrored the nonliturgical style of slave religion.… The resulting sparseness provided the slaves more room for 'ring shouts' during often all-night sessions of prayer and song." In some cases, this is referred to praise meetings--time when enslaved individuals got together at night to sing.