Grace United Methodist Church
can be traced back to the merger of two churches. The day came when
the children of Union Chapel were turned away from Sunday School
because children were not allowed in the Red District (where the church
was located on Bienville St.). So the leaders of the church met and
decided to merge with the Pleasant Plain Methodist Church.
The Union Chapel congregation
still wanted its own church, so the members soon found themselves meeting
in another building by permission of the New Orleans Board. Later,
a discarded horse stable was used for services. This was located
on Derbigny St., between Bienville and Conti and cost them $8 per month.
When the Pleasant Plain church
was destroyed by a 1915 hurricane, the two congregations found themselves
joined once again. Under the leadership of Rev. B.T. McEwen, the
congregations joined together to build a new church. A Miss Sarah
Jones suggested the name "Grace," and it was accepted. On the fourth Sunday
in April, 1917, the members marched from the stable to the "Little Cathedral."
The church and parsonage have
been renovated several times over the years, starting way back in 1921.
For example, new carpet was added about 1930, an organ, carillons, rest
rooms, and a new garage were added in the 1940's, and a sound system and
flags were added in the 1950's. The church property was severe
damage by hurricane Betsy in 1965. It took a while to repair everything,
with the cornerstone for the educational building being laid in 1971.
Under the leadership of Rev.
N.H. Baker (1955-1961), major renovations were made. The Fifty Club
was formed and aided in raising funds for the church. A piece of
adjacent property was acquired and is now occupied by the educational building.
Source: The History of Grace United Methodist Church |
