Community Chapel of Melbourne Beach facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Community Chapel of Melbourne Beach
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Melbourne Beach, Florida |
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| NRHP reference No. | 92000505 |
| Added to NRHP | May 14, 1992 |
The Community Chapel of Melbourne Beach is a special old building in Melbourne Beach, Florida. People in the area built this chapel way back in 1892. They wanted it to be a place where everyone could worship, no matter their religion. It's still that way today! Because it's so important to history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in the United States on May 14, 1992.
Contents
A Look Back: The Chapel's Story
Before the chapel was built, people in the community met for worship at a local resident's home. This home was called Myrtle Cottage. For many years, ministers from the mainland would come to lead services at the chapel during certain seasons.
Facing Challenges: Hurricanes and Repairs
In 1924, a big hurricane hit the area. It badly damaged the chapel's foundation. Because of this, services stopped for a while. The chapel was repaired, and services started again in December 1927.
Growing and Changing: New Ministers and Upgrades
In 1929, the chapel hired its first minister, Reverend Walter Lamphear. Later, in 1942, the chapel got some major upgrades. Its seating area was doubled, going from 70 seats to 140. The front part of the chapel, called the chancel, was made bigger. New sections, called transepts, were also added on the sides.
Chaplain Roy M. Terry was a very important minister for the chapel. He was a retired Air Force Chief of Chaplains. He served from 1982 to 1988. During his time, he started year-round worship services. This meant people could attend services all the time, not just seasonally. In his honor, a building called the Roy Terry Center for Christian Fellowship was dedicated on January 10, 1992.
Recent Times: More Hurricanes and Renovations
In 2004, a series of hurricanes caused a lot of damage to the Terry Center. But the community worked hard to fix it. In September 2005, the Center was rededicated after all the renovations were finished. Chaplain John Secret became the minister in July 2000 and served for many years.
