First United Methodist Church

The story

Behind the sketch.

Huntsville's Methodists organized while the town was still gathered around Hunt's Spring. Their first church on this site was completed in 1834, occupied by Federal troops during the Civil War, and accidentally burned in 1864. The congregation laid the cornerstone for its replacement in 1867 and dedicated the present sanctuary in 1874. Its' arches, stained glass, purple doors, and copper-covered steeple have since made it one of downtown's most recognizable churches. The building has grown through several rounds of additions, as buildings serving active congregations tend to do, but the old sanctuary still commands the corner of Greene Street and Randolph Avenue. After more than two centuries, First Methodist has become both a house of worship and a particularly vertical piece of Huntsville wayfinding.

Neighborhood

Twickenham

Book location

Page 26