Ground Breaking for Three Story Methodist Church, Elizabeth City, September 1919

From The Independent, Elizabeth City, N.C., Sept. 5, 1919

To Break Ground Next Week for New Church. . . New First Methodist Church South to Be One of the Most Complete Houses of Worship in the State. Bishop to Attend Celebration Sept. 26

Ground will be broken for the new First Methodist Church South some time next week. A celebration of the ground breaking will be staged on Friday, September 26, and the distinguished guest of the occasion will be Bishop Darlington himself.

The new church will cost $100,000, instead of $60,000 to $75,000 as originally planned. It will occupy nearly all of the lot owned by the First Methodists, corner of Road and Church streets. And it will be three stories high.

Can you imagine a three story church? No one did until the pastor and building committee of the First Methodist Church began to try to evolve plans for a church that would suit the needs of their growing congregation. They studied the plans of churches everywhere and visited several cities for the purpose of inspecting city churches. Nowhere could they find a church plan without its draw backs and limitations.

The new church will be divided into two sections. The first section will be over the main auditorium, which will seat 750 to 1,000 persons. Underneath there will be a social hall, kitchen, retiring rooms, etc.

To the rear of the main auditorium and separated from it by a spacious corridor will be the Sunday School auditorium. The rooms for the various Sunday School departments and classes will be grouped around this auditorium on three floors and will open into this auditorium. And audience of 1,000 people can be entertained in the Sunday School auditorium by throwing open the class rooms.

It will be possible to carry on two meetings in the big church at one time, without confusion or conflict of any kind.

The building will have more of the appearance of an impressive, dignified, useful community center than of a church. It will be of Colonial design and tapestry or texture brick will be used for the outer walls. Massive Colonial columns will adorn the front entrance. J.P. Kramer, designer and builder of most of the worth while buildings in Elizabeth City will superintend the construction.

It was planned to hold the Ground Breaking Celebration on the day that ground would be actually broken, but all arrangements for the ceremony could not be perfected so soon. Rather than delay construction it was decided to postpone the ceremonies. Methodists from all over northeastern North Carolina will be invited to attend the celebration on September 26.

To read the history of this church and see a photo of the exterior taken in the 1920's, go to https://nccumc.org/history/files/First-UMC-Elizabeth-City-History.pdf.