McCabe Memorial Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
McCabe Memorial Church
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The McCabe Memorial Church (Iglesia Metodista Unida) in Barrio Playa
Location in Puerto Rico
Location	835 Eugenio Maria de Hostos Ave., Ponce, Puerto Rico
Built	1908
Architect	Antonin Nechodoma
Architectural style	Bungalow/Craftsman, Neo Gothic
NRHP reference No.	08000283
Added to NRHP	April 11, 2008

The McCabe Memorial Church, also known as the Ponce Playa United Methodist Church, is a very old and important church building in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It's located in the Barrio Playa area. It was built in 1908 and designed by a famous architect named Antonin Nechodoma. In 2008, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special place worth protecting because of its history. It's one of only four places in the Playa area to get this special honor, along with the U.S. Customs House, the Caja de Muertos Lighthouse, and the Cardona Island Lighthouse.

Building the Church

The church was built in a style called Neo Gothic. This style often includes tall arches and detailed designs, like old European cathedrals. The church has a strong concrete foundation and walls. Its roof is made of wood and corrugated metal.

It was built in 1908 to be a place of worship for the Methodist community in Playa de Ponce. The roof was first made of wood shingles. The church was named after Bishop Charles Cardwell McCabe. He was a much-loved Methodist leader who passed away just before the church was built. At that time, the Methodist Church in Puerto Rico was part of a larger mission from the Methodist Church in the U.S.A.

A Look Back in Time

The church was built in this spot because the Playa area was very important for trade in the early 1900s. Because of its busy port, the Playa neighborhood also had fishing businesses, schools, hospitals, and a cemetery. About 5,169 people lived there, mostly in wooden houses. There was also a Catholic church, the Virgen del Carmen Catholic Church, built there in 1882.

The Port of Ponce was very important. This is why it became an early place for new Protestant churches to start their work. These churches came to Puerto Rico right after the Spanish–American War in 1898.

The land for the church was bought on March 31, 1906. Bishop Charles McCabe donated $400 for it. Building the church started in 1907 and finished in 1908. The total cost was $4,500. Local people called the new church La Iglesia Metodista de la Playa de Ponce, which means "The Ponce Playa Methodist Church."

Through the Years

In 1928, a big storm called the San Felipe hurricane partly destroyed the church. But the local people quickly rebuilt it. A Catholic priest named Gonzalo Noel helped guide them. Over the years, people in the area, no matter their religion, have seen the McCabe Methodist Church as a special symbol of their community.

In 1946, the church opened the McCabe Memorial School. Local families sent their children there, no matter what their religious beliefs were. This school was first called the Robinson Methodist School. Later, its name was changed to the Rev. Julia Torres School. This was to honor a local teacher and religious leader. In 1960, Reverend Julia Torres, who was born in La Playa, became the first woman in Puerto Rico to become a Methodist minister. She led both the church and the school for almost 12 years.

Why This Church is Important

The McCabe Memorial Church shows the important history of how Protestant churches began in Puerto Rico. Before this, the Catholic Church had almost complete control during the time Spain ruled the island. This church helped break down old barriers between the Church and the government. Before, these two were often very closely linked in Puerto Rican life. The church is also connected to a key architect of the 1900s in Puerto Rico, Antonin Nechodoma.

See also

• Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida de Ponce: another church in Ponce, Puerto Rico
• National Register of Historic Places listings in southern Puerto Rico