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Location: 104 Pineapple Ave & State Street |
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The
Methodists moved their "Little White Church" at Five
Points to this site in 1911. Next to IT they completed a new
$10,000 brick "Greek Temple" in 1914. Classes continued
to meet in the original building until 1922, when IT was rebuilt
in Newtown for Bethel CME Church.
In 1924 the church installed one of the area's first pipe organs.
Kathryn Scott was organist Choir director. Claude Hebb served
without pay from 1924-1963, as did violinist Martha Lynne Robertson.
Area musical events were frequent.
Through the years, First Methodist has expanded its own programs
and helped many other churches develop. Growing membership led
to the building of this half million dollar sanctuary, which
was first used for services on Christmas Day, 1955. English
artist Arthur Erridge designed the 17 memorial stained glass
windows. A million-dollar chapel-office complex with choir room
replaced the old brick church in 1983. In the same year, Franz
Engle, who was to be organist – choirmaster for 23 years,
dedicated the four-manual, more than 3,000 pipe, 53 rank Moller
organ. During the Centennial year 1990-1991, the church was
rededicated to its next century of service.
The village of Sarasota's earliest church was chartered in 1891
as the Sarasota Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Manatee Village
circuIT rider Rev. E. F. Gates brought recently ordained Rev.
William B. Tresca to be founding minister. "Will"
had studies at Methodist Emory College near Atlanta. They arrived
on horseback from the Manatee Methodist Church, oldest religious
organizations (1849) as mainland Florida south of Fort Brooks
(now called Tampa).
Charter
members were Mr. and Mrs. John Helveston, Lula Helveston, Mr.
and Mrs. W. R. Gocio, Martha Drew, Helen Pinard, Levi Jonathan
Knight, P. K. Johnson and possibly Mrs. Isadore Spencer, Peter
Crocker and his daughter Fannie. Nancy Whitaker Helveston was
the first settler child born along Sarasota Bay (1852). The
cocios were citrus growers. Knight was the son of pioneer cattleman
'Rev.' Jessie Knight. Knight, who settled in 1868 at Horse and
Chaise (Nokomis-Venice). Mrs. Pinard's husband, Felix, was Sarasota's
first professional photographer.
Land
was purchased in 1892 at the SE corner of Main and Pineapple.
Prominent citizen and future three-term mayor, Harry Higel,
provided the purchase price of $40.
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