Elk Rapids First Methodist Episcopal Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Elk Rapids First Methodist Episcopal Church
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 301 Traverse St. Elk Rapids, Michigan |
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| Built | 1901 |
| Architect | Benjamin D. Price, Max C. Price |
| Architectural style | Gothic-inspired Auditorium Church |
| NRHP reference No. | 15000945 |
| Added to NRHP | December 29, 2015 |
The Elk Rapids First Methodist Episcopal Church is a historic building in Elk Rapids, Michigan. It used to be a church. Today, it is home to the Elk Rapids Area Historical Museum. This special building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. This means it is recognized as an important part of history.
History of the Elk Rapids Church
Early Days of the Methodist Church
In 1857, a new minister named Reverend David R. Latham visited Elk Rapids. He had planned to go to Kansas. However, he decided to stay in the Elk Rapids area. Soon, he was given a job to preach in Elk Rapids and other nearby towns.
Enough people in Elk Rapids became Methodists to start their own church group. The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Elk Rapids was officially formed in the early 1870s.
Finding a Home for the Congregation
In 1876, the church group bought an old schoolhouse. They used this building as their first church. A few years later, in 1882, they moved to the building that used to be the courthouse.
However, the church group quickly grew too big for these buildings. In 1901, they bought the land for the building you see today. They started building their new church that same year.
Building the New Church and Its Future
The new church building was finished in 1902. It cost about $8,500 to build. The church group used this building for many years, until 2011. At that time, the church group decided to close.
The building was then given to the Elk Rapids Area Historical Society. This group fixed up the building. Now, it is their main office and a museum about local history.
Exploring the Church Building
Outside the Historic Elk Rapids Church
The former Elk Rapids First Methodist Episcopal Church is made of brick and wood. It has a cross-gable roof. The outside walls are made of light yellow bricks from the local area. The bottom part of the building sits on a foundation of rough stone.
The parts of the roof that come to a point (the gables) are covered with wood shingles. The building has one main floor above a basement that is partly underground. The church is mostly square, with two short parts sticking out.
The Church Tower and Entrances
A square tower is located at the front corner of the building. This tower holds the main entrance. It sticks out almost all the way from the front walls. The top of the tower has an open bell tower and a tall, pointed spire.
The main entrance has a large double wooden door. You reach it by climbing a set of stairs. There are three more entrances located around the building.
Unique Windows and Stained Glass
A special feature of the building is its unique Gothic-arch windows. These windows come in many different shapes and sizes. The main front walls each have a large, three-part Gothic window in the middle. There is also a single, narrow Gothic window on each side.
Another side of the building has another three-part Gothic window. It has two single, narrow Gothic windows on one side. The last side has three single, narrow Gothic windows. The tower also has one window.
Thirteen of the windows have beautiful stained glass. Eight of these stained glass windows are from when the church was first built. These older windows have pointed arch tops and wooden frames. They show designs like doves, lilies, crowns, crosses, and Bibles.
Five more stained glass windows were added later (in 1948, 1949, 1952, 1977, and 1980). These newer windows show religious scenes. Two of them are based on paintings by a German artist named Johann Heinrich Hoffmann.
Inside the Elk Rapids Museum
The main entrance leads into a small entry room. From there, you go into the main auditorium. The floor of the auditorium slopes down towards the stage. This is where the preacher's stand and altar used to be.
Church benches, called pews, used to be arranged in a half-circle around the auditorium. Now, only one section of these pews remains. The inside walls are painted plaster over the brick. The ceiling above is covered with fancy pressed metal panels.
A doorway from the auditorium leads to a front room. This room is now used as a welcome area or for meetings. A staircase from the main floor goes down to the basement. Downstairs, there is a large meeting space. There is also a smaller room that holds the building's machinery.
