First United Methodist Church (Jasper, Alabama) facts for kids
|
First United Methodist Church
|
|
Front view in 2022
|
|
 Location in Alabama
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 1800 3rd Ave., Jasper, Alabama |
|---|---|
| Area | 0.4 acres (0.16 ha) |
| Built | 1921 |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000257 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
|
| Added to NRHP | February 14, 1985 |
The First United Methodist Church in Jasper, Alabama is a very old and important church building. It's located in Walker County, Alabama. The church group itself started way back in the 1830s! This building is actually their fifth church home, built between 1912 and 1921. Experts think it's one of the best buildings of its kind in Alabama. Because it's so special, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 14, 1985. In December 2022, the church decided to join a different group called the Global Methodist Church and changed its name to Jasper First Methodist Church.
A Look Back: The Church's Story
The First United Methodist Church is the oldest church group in Jasper. It began on June 14, 1833. Their first church was a log building that used to be a community school. They used this building until they built a new wooden church around 1858–59. This new church was built at the same spot where the current church stands today. The church group built two more buildings before starting work on the one you see now.
In 1912, the church started collecting money to build a new, bigger church. Construction began soon after. A local banker and businessman named Lycurgus Breckenridge Musgrove helped a lot. He gave two dollars for every dollar the church raised in other ways. He also donated the beautiful marble used to build the church and the pipe organ. Building the church was paused because of World War I. But work started again after the war. The new church building was officially opened on November 3, 1921.
A powerful tornado hit the church on April 3, 1974. This storm caused a lot of damage to the small tower on the roof, called a cupola, and to the roof itself. It also broke the main doors and damaged or destroyed 34 out of 38 stained glass windows. Water also got inside, causing more damage. The church was repaired between 1975 and 1976. The broken stained glass windows were replaced with new ones that looked similar to the originals.
Building Design: Beaux-Arts Style
Experts from the Alabama Historical Commission say this church is "among Alabama's most outstanding examples of Beaux-Arts neoclassicism." This means it's a really great example of a building style that mixes old Greek and Roman ideas with a grand, fancy look. It's a bit unusual that no one knows for sure who designed this church, especially since it was built in the 1900s.
Some people think William Leslie Welton, a famous architect from Birmingham, Alabama, might have designed it. It's also possible that the design came from a book called Catalog of Plans of Down to Date Twentieth Century Churches, published in 1912. The church looks a lot like plans 58 and 59 by George Kramer, an architect from New York City. Another idea is that the church's pastor at the time, Reverend William Winfield Scott, played a big part in designing it.
The church building is made of stone, covered with beautiful Georgia marble. It has two stories and sits on a raised basement. Since the church is on a corner, the main entrances are on the north and east sides. These entrances have large, grand porches, called porticoes, with six huge columns each. These columns are made from a single piece of stone. The tops of the columns, called Ionic capitals, are a special type used by an architect named Vincenzo Scamozzi. On the south side of the building, there's a section for the choir. Large arched stained glass windows are on either side of the main porches. A low, hipped roof made of terracotta tiles covers the building. On top of the roof is an eight-sided cupola.
Inside the church, the main area is the sanctuary. This is a large, square room where services are held. The walls are decorated with wooden columns, called pilasters, and fancy woodwork made of Honduran mahogany. A huge, round art glass dome, 34-foot (10 m) across and 9 feet (2.7 m) high, lets light into the room. This dome is made of 109 sections and has 30,000 tiny pieces of glass! Electric lights above the dome make it glow even brighter.
