First Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Atlanta Georgia

Date added: December 03, 2024

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The First Methodist Episcopal Church, South is an excellent example of the Gothic Revival style in the Atlanta metro-area. Designed by a leading Atlanta architect, Willis F. Denny, the church was constructed in 1903 on land that the congregation purchased just north of the downtown Atlanta business district.

The diversity of the Gothic style is reflected in the pointed-arch entryways, arched stained-glass windows, blind arcade above the central entryway, lancet windows, quatrefoils, pinnacles, and wall buttresses. Interior features include pews, doors, sconces, and chandeliers with trefoil and quatrefoil motifs and a Gothic-arched ceiling. The architect, Willis F. Denny, was a leading architect in Atlanta before his untimely death in 1905. In addition to this church, which many consider to be his finest, Denny designed several other ecclesiastical buildings in Atlanta including Saint Mark's Methodist Episcopal Church on Peachtree Street and the Inman Park Methodist Church. His commercial designs include apartment buildings, hotels, and the Jefferson County Courthouse among others. Many Atlanta residences, including Rhodes Hall on Peachtree Street and the Victor Kriegshaber House on Moreland Avenue, were also designed by Denny. Cooper, Bond & Cooper, an Atlanta architectural firm formed in 1945, designed the 1950 addition. Cooper, Bond & Cooper designed many buildings on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, as well as many commercial buildings in Atlanta.

The Methodists were among the first to build a house of worship within the city limits of Atlanta. They built a small frame church on Peachtree Street at Luckie Street in 1848, the year that Atlanta incorporated as a city. After the Civil War, the congregation built their second church on Houston Street in 1870. As Atlanta began its push northward in the early 20^th Century, the congregation purchased property a few blocks north of their Houston Street location and hired noted Atlanta architect Willis F. Denny to design their new church. The builders were Donaldson & Pearson. The congregation is considered the "Mother Church" of Methodism for Atlanta and was instrumental in helping start other Methodist churches in the area.

First Methodist Episcopal Church, South, today known as Atlanta First United Methodist Church, was founded in 1847 and met in a small log building at the center of what was to become the city of Atlanta. The building was known as the Union Sabbath School and was used by all of the Christian denominations on weekends and during the week it was used as a school. In 1848 the Methodists raised $700.00 and built their own church building, Wesley Chapel, on a lot surrounded by Peachtree, Pryor, and Houston streets near the Union Sabbath School. In 1850 the Wesley Chapel congregation purchased a bell and built an adjacent tower to house the bell. When the Civil War began, most churches gave their bells to be melted down for the war effort. The city fathers of Atlanta requested that Wesley Chapel retain its bell since it was the most centrally located church in the city. The bell was used to notify the public in case of emergencies such as fire, call the children to school, and for many other uses. In September of 1864 the bell was rung to alert the citizens of Atlanta that General William Sherman and the Union Army were on the outskirts of the city. Wesley Chapel and its bell survived the bombardment and burning of Atlanta. The members of the church repaired the building and continued to use it after the war.

By 1870 following Atlanta's rapid growth at the end of the Civil War, the congregation of Wesley Chapel had outgrown their small building. In that year construction began on a new building on church property located next to Wesley Chapel, where the Candler Building stands today. When the cornerstone was laid on September 1^st, 1870, the name of the church was officially changed to the First Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Atlanta. The new structure had a spire of 180 feet with two pinnacles of 90 feet on either side. The bell from Wesley Chapel was moved to the bell tower in the new church and in 1885 an organ was given to the church. Wesley Chapel was demolished soon after the congregation moved to the new building in 1871.

In 1879 the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South was held at the church. During this meeting the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society was formed, a group that still exists today as the United Methodist Women. The church membership continued to grow along with the post-Civil War growth of the city of Atlanta.

In 1902 the church had again outgrown its building and increased traffic on Peachtree and Houston streets created a noise problem during the summer months when the church windows had to be open. Property was purchased from Samuel H. Venable at 360 Peachtree Street. Bishop Warren Candler opposed moving the church to this location north of downtown since it was not in the downtown business district, but in a residential area. The church leaders went against the bishop's opposition and began plans for the church building. Native Georgian Willis F. Denny was chosen as the architect to design the building and Donaldson & Pearson Company was hired to do the construction. Denny designed a Gothic Revival-style building that is faced with Stone Mountain granite.

The cornerstone was laid on April 18^th, 1903 and the congregation moved into the building on December 1^st of that same year. The 1850 bell and the 1885 organ from the prior church buildings were placed into the new building.

The sanctuary was originally designed as an Akron plan, with a semicircular projection that housed offices and classrooms. The Akron plan features a large open space or rotunda that is surrounded by classrooms that open onto the rotunda space by means of folding doors or shutters. The size and shape could be adapted to fit the size of the congregation. The Akron plan developed in the 19^th century in response to the country's growing educational movement. With the growth of public education by the mid-19^th Century, Sunday school consisted primarily of religious instruction. The design was named for the city of Akron, Ohio, where the plan was first used in a Methodist church in the 1860s. Today some of these plans still exist in churches, but most have been modified to accommodate today's needs.

Many of Atlanta's leading citizens called this congregation their home and many of the stained-glass windows were dedicated in their honor. The congregation continued to grow for the first quarter of the twentieth century but started to decline with the Great Depression and growth of suburbs in the 1930s. Closing the church and combining it with Peachtree Road Methodist Church was considered in 1938 to form a new church in the Buckhead area of Atlanta. This move was approved at the quarterly conferences of both churches. Bishop Arthur J. Moore opposed the proposed move, and the plan was dismissed. In December of 1940, Bishop Moore sent C. Pierce Harris to be the new pastor at Atlanta First. The congregation immediately began to grow. Most of the new members were young people attracted by the sermons of Dr. Harris and the music of Rev. Harry Armstrong, the music director. Dr. Harris' night services became a favorite for this age group and grew even more popular with the end of World War II. During his tenure the physical plant of the church was expanded and the Centennial Building constructed. The church membership continued to grow through the ministry of Dr. Harris (1940-1965) and the early years of his successor, Dr. Robert V. Ozment.

By the 1970s the phenomenon of "urban flight" had caused a steady decline in the membership of the church. This decline continued through the next three pastors and the night service was discontinued. In 2007 Dr. Jim Ellison was assigned to the church and since that time there has been a slow but steady growth in the membership. On March 2^nd, 2008 the night service was reinstated in the guise of a contemporary service. This service is geared to the young adults that are beginning to move back into the downtown Atlanta area into the new residential buildings that are being constructed in this area of the city.

Atlanta First has been called the "Mother Church of Methodism in Atlanta" because of its history. Other Methodist churches in the city including Trinity (1853), Evan's Chapel (1852), Payne's Chapel (1855), St. Paul's (1868), Merritts Avenue, now St. Mark's (1876), Park Street (1882), Grace Church (1883), and Asbury Church (1886) grew out of this congregation. The congregation has been involved in a variety of local social welfare and outreach missions throughout its history. It continues that tradition today.

In 1939 Atlanta First became the First Methodist Church of Atlanta. In 1968 the name was changed to Atlanta First United Methodist Church. These name changes reflect changes in the Methodist Church of the United States.

Site Description

The church is located in downtown Atlanta on Peachtree Street, the city's historic main thoroughfare. The front facade faces east onto Peachtree Street towards the north section of Atlanta's central business district. This large 1903 church is built of Stone Mountain granite in the Gothic Revival style. The granite blocks are roughly hewn and of varying sizes. The roof is a non-historic slate imitation product. The main facade has two square towers, of unequal height, the taller of which is a bell tower. Three arched entryways are located on this facade--one central entry and one in each of the towers. The recessed wood doors have heavy strap hinges. The diversity of the Gothic style is reflected in the pointed-arch entryways, arched stained-glass windows, blind arcade above the central entryway, lancet windows, quatrefoils, pinnacles, and wall buttresses. Tiffany & Co. made two of the 16 stained-glass windows on the main level. The Mayer & Co. of Munich, Germany and the Von Gerichten Art Glass Co. of Columbus, Ohio made the rest of the windows. The interior has a spacious sanctuary with a semi-circular pew arrangement and gallery. The gallery is reached through stairs at either end of the vestibule. The gallery is located over the vestibule and extends to the pulpit wall on either side. In addition to the four original brass chandeliers, a central skylight and stained-glass windows provide light. A two-room brick annex, constructed in 1925, is located on the north side of the sanctuary. A two-story education building, completed in 1950, is located at the back of the sanctuary. This building houses classrooms, offices, and meeting rooms. A third-floor gymnasium was added to it in 1961.

The First Methodist Episcopal Church, South is a Gothic Revival-style church, designed by Willis F. Denny. The main facade of this 1903 church faces east onto Peachtree Street. Constructed of roughly hewn stone of varying sizes, the building creates a massive appearance. The front facade contains two square towers. The taller of the two, on the southeast corner, is the bell tower. Both towers have corner pinnacles and battlements. Each tower has a tall, pointed-arch recessed entry with a pointed-arch, double wooden door. The doors have six heavy, metal hinges. The door surrounds and quatrefoil panel above each door are wood. Arched stained-glass windows above the quatrefoil panel finish out the recessed entry. Granite steps and metal handrails lead to the entry doors.

The central entry to the sanctuary consists of double wooden doors with wood side panels and stained-glass windows above the doors, all set in a granite pointed-arch hood molding supported by three Corinthian columns on each side. The stained-glass windows above the entry have the dates 1848 and 1903 on either side signifying the date of the first church building for the congregation and the date of this building. Six heavy, metal hinges are on the wooden doors. Granite steps with two metal handrails provide access to the central entry doors. Located above the central entry are four recessed pointed arches supported by Corinthian columns. Above that is a large stained-glass window set within a larger pointed arch. The window contains a central cross and quatrefoil emblems. One small round opening is centrally located above this large, recessed entry. A single pinnacle tops the gable roof on this facade. In 2007 the roof on the sanctuary was replaced with an imitation slate product. This was to replace multiple asbestos and asphalt shingle roofs that had replaced the original slate roof at unknown dates. The product used in 2007 was selected to match the appearance of the original slate roof as much as possible.

The south elevation of the sanctuary has a large window bay with buttresses, which rises above the roofline and is capped by a triangular pediment and pinnacles. The bay contains stained-glass windows that mimic the windows above the central entry on the east facade. Three smaller bays contain recessed pointed arches with the same windows. A band of wood quatrefoil panels extends through all of the bays. Further west along this elevation is an entry door that is reminiscent of the other arched entries. The concrete ramp was added in the 1970s.

The westernmost portion of the south elevation is constructed of the same roughly hewn stone and the watercourse continues along this section, which helps to visually tie this portion of the building to the front. A parapet caps this section. The window openings are rectangular. This portion of the building was reconfigured in 1948 as part of the Centennial Building construction project. The sanctuary was originally designed as an Akron plan, with a semicircular projection that housed offices and classrooms. In 1948 the semicircular projection was removed in order to construct an educational building, the Centennial Building.

The north elevation of the sanctuary mirrors the south elevation. The windowsills on all elevations of the sanctuary are granite. All of the exterior doors are original to the sanctuary.

A large vestibule is located inside the Peachtree Street entry. In 1959 an entry alcove was built inside the central entrance doors from Peachtree Street to the sanctuary to block sunlight and airflow. Four memorial stained-glass windows representing the four Gospel writers are in the alcove wall that faces the sanctuary.

Stairs to the balcony are located at both ends of the vestibule. Arches and quatrefoils motifs are repeated in the doors to the sanctuary.

The large sanctuary contains pews in a semi-circular arrangement with two central aisles. The pews face a central, rounded platform that contains the pulpit and, in a slightly elevated position, the pipe organ and choir loft. The platform was reconfigured in 2007. The paneling in the chancel area was replaced in 2007, but was made to match the original paneling. The pulpit is original to the sanctuary. It is carved with acanthus leaves, trefoils, and quatrefoils. The curved, oak pews are original to the sanctuary. The end of each pew is carved with arches and flowing stylized leaves. In 2007 two rows of pews were removed from the front of the sanctuary. The kneeling rail was dismantled and reused to construct the new rail. The original choir loft and a 1955 organ that included a false organ pipe facade were removed. An organ console storage chamber with hydraulic lift was constructed in the basement with a new expanded stage and choir area above. A new organ was fabricated and installed by A. C. Schlueter and Co. utilizing a combination of new components and older pipes from the 1885 organ that was located in the 1870 church building. An antiphonal organ section was installed in the rear of the balcony. As constructed, the new organ console can be removed from the stage when not needed.

The interior walls are plastered. Dark wood wainscoting and wood trim provide contrast to the lighter walls. The dark oak wainscoting around the side walls of the sanctuary has its original finish.

Wooden supports for the balcony are carved with quatrefoil motifs. A decorative finial hangs on the bottom of the balcony at each support bracket. The carving on the front of the balcony matches the wainscoting. The balcony can be accessed from both sides of the vestibule. Part of the wood floor is uncovered on the balcony. The rest of the floors are covered with carpet. Access to the bell tower is by an open stairwell located on the balcony.

The ceiling has massive Gothic arches that spring from carved pilasters with gilded wood capitals. The support arches for the center dome of the sanctuary feature an open design of trefoils. All of these arches were originally natural oak, but were painted to match the color of the walls of the sanctuary. A rose window in the center of the ceiling is accented by a square of beams and rafters. In 1925 a layer of hair felt (an insulation fabric similar to fiberglass) covered with artist's canvas was applied to the ceiling area of the sanctuary to improve the acoustics in the building. The area of the central dome was the only part of the ceiling not covered. This material is still in place.

Interior lighting is provided by four metal chandeliers, which are original to the sanctuary. Each of these hangs from the ceiling by a combination of eighteen metal chains. Each fixture has five lights covered with white glass globes. The outer ring of each chandelier features an open design of quatrefoils and trefoils. In 2007 the chandeliers were connected to a winch system for ease of maintenance. Other lighting is provided by metal sconces, which are original to the sanctuary. They are located along the perimeter walls on the first floor and balcony levels. The sconces on the first floor have five arms and fleur-de-lei and leaf motifs. The balcony level sconces have three arms and similar motifs. There are six sconces on each level.

The stained-glass windows in the sanctuary are from several glassmakers. All of the windows were made for the building. The sixteen windows on the main floor of the sanctuary are all memorial windows that depict scenes or people from the Gospels. The one exception is the "Rock of Ages" window on the north wall. This window shows a woman clinging to the cross in a storm. Fourteen of the windows were made by Mayer & Co. of Munich, Germany. Most of Mayer & Co.'s records were lost in World War II, but two of the sanctuary windows are documented in the records that survived, including "Christ Blessing the Children" and "The Ascension." The two remaining windows, "St. John" and "St. Paul," are attributed to Tiffany & Co. These windows are not signed, but experts from a Virginia stained-glass company, Lynchburg Stained Glass, believe that Tiffany & Co. manufactured them. These windows are located on the north wall.

The seventeen windows on the balcony level are all by Mayer & Co. Two of the windows are signed. The main windows are all flowers and plants of the Holy Land. The windows on the south wall are memorial windows, whereas the windows on the north wall are not. The center four windows on both walls have arches that reach to the ceiling. In both of these arches the glass is framed with two quatrefoils and a cross at the top. On the south wall the stained-glass in the quatrefoils represents the "Alpha" and "Omega." The north wall quatrefoils are representations of the "Rose of Sharon." The four windows below the quatrefoils in each arch are triangular in shape and represent stylized pomegranates on stalks with leaves. In the balcony facing the chancel area is an arched window that matches the arched part of the north wall window.

The rose window in the dome is by Von Gerichten Art Glass Company of Columbus, Ohio. This company also manufactured the windows in the stairwells on the north and south sides of the church. Additionally, they fabricated the panels over the main front doors on Peachtree Street (east), the panel over the entrance door from Porter Place (south), and the panels over the doors from the stairwells to the balcony.

On December 18^th, 1977, following the morning service, an angry visitor threw rocks and bricks through 27 of the stained-glass windows in the sanctuary. Five of the windows were badly damaged. Winterich & Associates of Cleveland, Ohio, restored the windows. Plexiglas was placed on the outside of all of the stained-glass windows after that to protect against future damage from outside. In 2007 Lynchburg Stained Glass repaired and cleaned many of the windows that had deteriorated since their installation in 1903.

The doors in the stairwells from the two towers to the balcony, from the narthex to the main floor, and from the old pastor's office and Porter Place entrance are also original. All of the doors are carved wood and have the original metal hardware. The back plates on the main doors have a motif reflecting the arches in the doorways topped with a representation of the finials on the roof of the building. The doorknobs have a pattern of trefoils on them. The carved designs on the doors vary. Some have arches with trefoils and others have quatrefoils carved on the panels.

Some of the original chairs are still in use. Two are used in the chancel area, one in the archives room, and two others are stored in a conference room next to the sanctuary for use when extra seating is needed in the chancel area. The cushions on all of the chairs are handmade needlepoint copies of five of the stained-glass windows in the sanctuary and date to 1987. The chairs are decorated with carved acanthus leaves, quatrefoils, and trefoils and match the pulpit and original altar table. The finials on the three larger chairs are copies of the finials on the roof of the sanctuary building.

A two-room Sunday school annex building, constructed in 1925, is located on the north side of the church. Plans to construct a one-story annex building were approved in May 1925. The building has a granite foundation and walls. It was constructed so that additional stories could be added in the future if needed. Originally, it had three classrooms when it opened in October 1925. In 1941 the center classroom was removed and the other two rooms enlarged. In 1944 the congregation made plans to build a new Sunday school building and demolish the annex, however due to financial problems that did not happen.

Part of the west end of the annex was demolished in 1948 and a new red brick wall that matched the Centennial Building was constructed on that elevation. The windows on the west elevation were also changed at that time. The building is currently used for storage.

The Centennial Building, located west of the sanctuary and now referred to as the Education Building, consisted of two floors, with a basement boiler room, when it was completed in 1950. The building has two wings and a central section. The south wing is faced with Indiana limestone, while the north wing and central section are faced with red brick. The Centennial Building was officially dedicated on December 27^th, 1953.

The south elevation of the Centennial Building contains a centrally located door with symmetrically placed windows on either side. Windows on the top two floors are similarly spaced. Windows on this building are casement windows with hood molding and concrete sills and surrounds. Some of the windows on the first floor have been replaced with aluminum windows in order to comply with current city code for daycare usage.

On the west elevation the building abuts the parking lot and an open arched entry leads to a small plaza area on this side of the building. A small stone and brick wall protects pedestrians from the adjacent parking lot. Entry to this building on the west elevation is through a pointed-arch entry door.

The brick portion of this building has casement windows, but in the center portion there is no hood molding on the lower two floors. In 1961 a third floor was added to both wings and the central section of the existing Centennial Building. This additional floor contains classrooms, a gymnasium, and a small kitchen. The building became known as the Education Building at this time. The interior is utilitarian with concrete block walls and carpet on the floor. Windows on the gymnasium level are much taller than the lower floors and have hood molding.

In 2002 an elevator was added to the Centennial Building. The elevator shaft was added to the back of the north wing and faced with red brick to match the previous construction. The elevator serves all three floors of the building.

Due to its downtown setting in a major urban center, landscaping is minimal. The church abuts the sidewalk on the east and south elevations. Parking lots and other buildings surround the church. The style of the church is in contrast to the mostly modern buildings that surround it. There are two historic buildings, Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the Imperial Hotel, located across the street from this church.

One large tree in a small grass lawn shades the east facade of the sanctuary. Two large decorative concrete planters were added on either side of the central entrance (Peachtree Street side) to the sanctuary in 1993. These planters were given in honor of the Henry Grady Sunday School Class and its members and teachers. There is a memorial plaque for the planters on the inside of the main doors. A large granite and concrete sign was placed in the front of the property at Peachtree Street and Ivan Allen Boulevard in the 1990s. The sign has "First United Methodist Church 1847" engraved on both sides.