Elm Street United Methodist Church - 168 Elm Street, South Portland, ME

Elm Street United Methodist Church - Header

Elm Street United Methodist Church - 168 Elm Street South Portland. Phone: 207-799-0407. Worship: Sundays at 11:00 AM. Pastor: Rev. Andrea Harvey

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Elm Street United Methodist Church - History

History

Methodism in South Portland, then part of Cape Elizabeth, began as early as 1800 when Samuel Snowden held meetings in our area. The spread of the Methodist principles attracted opposition, and while town authorities denied the petitions of the Methodists to become a society, the General court granted a petition for an act of incorporation in 1807. With their rights secured, the Methodists built a house of worship in 1808. This plain frame building initially stood in Ferry Village, and was later moved by raft and oxen to Barren Hill to meet the need for a local church in the western section of town. It was later repaired and relocated to Brown's Hill, where it stood for a number of years. This church became First United Methodist Church. When a new church building was built in 1866, Jesse Dyer purchased the old chapel. Iin 1869, it started on its journey to what is now the corner of Elm and Chapel Streets. Sunday School was held, as well as services by the Salvation Army and the Y.M.C.A.

In 1886, Rev. Frank W. Smith began a social meeting one evening a week in Pleasantdale. The attendants wanted regular preaching, and so Rev. Smith was officially to the area by the Maine Conference as part of the Cape Elizabeth Depot and Turner's Island charge. The chapel was thoroughly renovated, and a reopening service was held. Rev. Walter Canham was appointed in 1890, and Elm Street Methodist Episcopal Church was founded on April 16, 1891 with sixteen members in full connection and an additional seventeen probationary members.


The original building of the Elm Street Methodist Episcopal Church.	The interior of the original Elm Street Methodist Episcopal Church.

Under the leadership of Rev. John H. Roberts, interest in a new church building grew. Philadelphia-based architect Richard C. Loos supplied the plans for the building. Ground was broken on September 27, 1897 and the Cornerstone was laid during the service on Sunday, October 10, 1897. In contained the Hymnal and the Methodist Book of Discipline that were used in the ceremony as well as a picture of the old church, a Y.P.S.C.E. (Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor) topic card for the year, historical sketches of the church, a report from the Church Improvement Society, and a report from the September 30th meeting of the Ladies Aid. Early in the year of 1898 a contract was made with Spence, Moakler & Bell of Boston for stained glass windows. Nearly all of these were contributed by people as memorials, or by classes in the Sunday School. They were installed in January 1899. The first religious service held in the church was a class meeting on March 2, 1899. After years of construction, the church was dedicated in a series of services on July 17-20, 1904.

The chancel of the sanctuary was remodeled in 1937 for the addition of a Hook & Hastings organ. Originally built in 1884, the organ (Opus 1209) was previously used in the High Street Methodist Church in Auburn. To match its oak finish, a new pulpit, lectern, altar, and altar rail were added. The Memorial altar features a hand-carved representation of a torch suggesting life and truth. On the pulpit is a carving of a cross with rays emanating from it. A new Education Building was consecrated on September 28, 1958, and its upper room was dedicated as Myrtle Lord Hall in 1963.


The cornerstone cut at 100 Elm Street by A.H. Small	Construction of the current building with the original chapel behind it.	The sanctuary after the Hook & Hastings organ installation, 1937.

In 1995, the interior of the church was restored. There was a discovery of a stained glass window which was broken during World War II. Because of the war, the glass had not been available to repair the window. It had been covered up for the past fifty years. Also during this time, a wall stencil pattern was found behind a bulletin board that once surrounded the sanctuary, but had been painted over. It was copied and reproduced on the walls, adding to the beauty and uniqueness of the church. On October 1, 1995, the church was rededicated.

Throughout the years, Elm Street United Methodist Church has had many active groups, such as the Methodist Adult Club, the United Methodist Men, the United Methodist Women, the Missionary Circle, the Adelphian Circle, the Dalphon Circle, the Deborah Circle, the Thalia Circle, the Fluffernutters, the Women's Society for Christian Service, the Men's Club, the Junior High Youth Group, Senior High Youth Group, and many others.

PASTORS OF ELM STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

	Frank W. Smith 1886-1890
Walter Canham 1890-1892	Oren P. Wright 1915-1920	Richard Arnold 1962-1971
Leonard H. Bean 1892-1893	John Dunstan 1920-1926	Earl Gray 1971-1974
William S. Jones 1893-1896	Chester F. Butterfield 1926-1929	Gerard Onos 1974-1982
John H. Roberts 1896-1902	Milan J. Smith 1929-1934	Eveline Smith 1982-1987
Howard A. Clifford 1902-1904	James E. McKee 1934-1935	Don Joo 1987-1991
George R. Palmer 1904-1908	Elwin L. Wilson 1935-1940	Gary Capen 1991-1994
William H. Varney 1908-1910	Lawrence D. Porter 1940-1948	Thomas E. White 1994-2001
David F. Nelson 1910-1913	Philip H. Lush 1949-1951	Gary Akeley 2001-2006
Ernest W. Burch 1913-1914	Robert Pinkham 1951-1954	David Nicol 2006-2010
Gordon L. Granger 1914-1915	Louis S. Staples 1955-1962	Andrea Harvey 2010-present

The information featured on this page was taken from the church's original written history created by Charles W. Smith in 1910 and from "The History of Elm Street United Methodist Church, 1897-1997: 100 Years of Ministry", assembled in 1997.