In 1842, Rev. Peter Schmucker
traveled to New Orleans to establish German Methodism. He began preaching
in the area and bought a lot on Melicierte (Erato) Street for $800.
A church was built by September and Rev. Carl Bremer was appointed as pastor
of the First German Methodist Church in 1843. In the 1850s,
a new church was built on Dryades Street. That was replaced by a
brick church in the early 1860s.
A new church was built on Franklin
Street in the spring of 1872. The St. Charles Avenue (Ames) church
merged with them in 1918. Shortly after Rev. Phil Deschner was appointed
to the church on November 14, 1918, work began on a new church. A
site on Napoleon Avenue was selected and purchased on February 9, 1920
for about $13,000. The old Franklin Street church was sold and became
the Peoples Community Center. The new church was completed in 1922 and
was dedicated on January 7, 1923. One-third of the $120,000 cost
was donated by the Meyers family.
The church was built of dark
red matt brick in the Gothic style. It contained a Moeller pipe organ
with over 500 pipes. Its education and recreation wing faced South
Robertson Street.
Source: A Century of Service |
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