First Methodist Episcopal Church, South (Vinita, Oklahoma) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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First Methodist-Episcopal Church, South
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 Location in Oklahoma
Location in the United States
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| Location | 314 W. Canadian Ave., Vinita, Oklahoma |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1920 - 1922 |
| Architect | Butler & Sanders |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000673 |
| Added to NRHP | June 3, 1999 |
The First Methodist-Episcopal Church, South is a historic church building. You can find it at 314 W. Canadian Avenue in Vinita, Oklahoma, United States. It is still an active church today. Its official name is now the First United Methodist Church.
Contents
Why This Church is Historic
This church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on June 3, 1999. The NRHP is a special list of places in the United States that are important to history.
The church was listed because it is a great example of a building style called Classical Revival architecture. It is considered the best and most complete example of this style in Vinita. It also shows how public buildings were constructed in the early 1900s in the city. It is the only church building from that time period in Vinita that looks much like it did when it was first built.
History of the Church
Early Days of the Congregation
The first Methodist people in Vinita started their church group in 1872. At first, they met in a small wooden building. This building was built in 1876. It was called a "community church" because all Protestant church groups in Vinita used it. This first church was located at 133 South Thompson Street.
In 1895, this community church was taken down. By then, most church groups had built their own buildings in downtown Vinita. The Methodists had already moved to a small building on South Scraper Street. Soon after, they built a wooden church building on South Thompson Street. They met there until the early 1920s.
Building a New Church
By 1920, the church group had grown quite a bit. There were 150 members and 160 kids in Sunday School. They realized they needed a much bigger place to meet. The church decided to build a new building on the land next to their old one on Thompson Street.
They hired an architectural company called Butler and Sanders from Tulsa to design the new church. In November 1920, a local Vinita company, Love Brothers Construction Company, was chosen to build it. The old wooden church building was given to an African Methodist-Episcopal group. The last event in the old church was on October 22, 1922. Then, it was moved to a new spot at Delaware and South Fourth Street.
Construction and Opening
Work on the new church building started on December 14, 1920. A special ceremony to lay the cornerstone (the first stone of the building) happened on March 9, 1921. By February 1922, the outside of the church was finished. Workers then began to build the inside.
The first event in the new church was a party on November 2, 1922. The very first worship service was held just a few days later, on November 5. The church was big enough to host a large meeting for Methodists from Eastern Oklahoma later that November.
Later Additions
In 1953, the church added a two-story education building. This building was placed about 20 feet (6 meters) from the main church building. For many years, the two buildings were separate.
In 1993, a covered walkway was added. This walkway was 20 feet (6 meters) wide and 30 feet (9 meters) long. It had glass sides. This walkway made it easier and more comfortable for people to walk between the main church and the education building, especially in bad weather.
