Church History
It was 1895--the St. Lucie river served as the local
“highway” because there were no paved roads yet, just foot paths
and wagon paths—when the first United Methodist Church was
dedicated to the glory of God.
The little white church with the
red roof and steeple was a welcomed sight to the early settlers
of this area and people came from miles around. They came by
boat, by wagon, or on foot. It was Stuart’s only church.
Twelve years later, in 1907, the congregation had
outgrown this little white church with its red roof and started
construction of a new church on the corner of 2nd
Street and Albany Avenue. Pineapples were the crop at that time
in this area and the local growers gave generously to the
building of another beautiful church with its steeple and
stain-glassed windows. A year later, in 1908, the church was
dedicated.
On New Year’s Day of 1916, most of the
people of Stuart had gone to a picnic across the river to Palm
City. At that time, there was no bridge across the river and
the people came by boat to spend the day in fellowship with one
another. While there, a fire broke out in Stuart not far from
the church and the people watched helplessly from across the
river as the fire spread devouring buildings in its path
including the beloved church.
Within a year’s time the basement of the third
church was finished and ready for services and when the upper
portion was completed the church was dedicated in March of
1917.
The people loved the church. For nearly 52
years, it became the place of worship and fellowship for many
settlers in the area.
The end of
World War II brought with it the “discovery” of Florida as more
and more people made their homes here in the South. In 1955,
the congregation bought land “way out of town” on Route 76
anticipating the need for a larger church. On May 1959, the
first services were held in the sanctuary at the present
location but what is now Fellowship Hall.
In
March of 1968, ground was broken for a new 750 seat sanctuary
and within one year, on March 2, 1969, the church with its tall
steeple and its beautiful stain-glassed windows was dedicated to
the glory of God.
(click on the image above to
enlarge the Palm Beach Post Article)
It has
been the home of First United Methodist Church for 42 years,
almost as long as the previous church on 2nd Street
and Albany Avenue.
Watercolor painting by Ms. Delia
Wach
