Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller

Old Meeting House

Architectural Information

The Old Meeting House was the third occupied by the oldest Christian Congregation south of Tampa. Construction was begun in 1887, then halted due to a yellow fever epidemic. The church was completed in 1889. The building was located 2 1/2 blocks north of the Historical Park (currently 315 15th Street East) and was a place of worship for 85 years. Donated by the Manatee United Methodist Church, it was moved to this site on the night of December 4, 1975.

The Sanctuary has been restored to its original size and configuration. The entrance doors were originally on either side of the narthex, but changed to a single entry with double doors. The triangular stained glass transom above the entrance doors signifies the Trinity. The colored panes match the small panes in the windows throughout the church.

The lectern was cut down to hold the Guest Book which visitors are encouraged to sign. Directly opposite is a photographic enlargement of the window commemorating the nine charter members of the first congregation. The actual window was incorporated into the new Sanctuary of the Manatee United Methodist Church, at the original site of the old Meeting house.

The vaulted shape of the ceiling resembles the canopy found in many early churches and is reminiscent of the motif over the altar. The stained glass windows on either side of the altar are reproductions of the originals which were retained by the Manatee Methodist Church for their new Sanctuary.

The vaulted shape of the ceiling resembles the canopy found in many early churches and is reminiscent of the architecture of Jewish synagogues. There is a similar motif over the altar. The stained glass star window above the altar was called the "Star of Creation" by early Protestant churches. It is also known as the Star of David. The stained glass windows on either side of the altar are reproductions of the originals which were retained by the Manatee Methodist Church for their new Sanctuary.

The Glazier Memorial Bell was mounted between the original lamp stands which were on either side of the pulpit and held kerosene lamps. The original pews were returned by the Terra Ceia Methodist Church in exchange for new pews which had been donated by the First Methodist Church in downtown Bradenton. The original pews were restored by volunteers. Additionally, eight short pews were returned from the Oneco Methodist Church, thus completing the pew arrangement. The plaques on the pews name the persons who donated the funds to have the pews professionally stripped prior to their restoration.

The wall sconces are hand-crafted replicas and now hold electric lights. The turn buckles in the ceiling were added shortly after the church was completed in 1889. These turn buckles were required to hold the walls from spreading due to the height and weight of the vaulted ceilings. The antique organ was donated by a local minister and his wife. It was originally a hand-crank organ and has been converted to electricity. Even though the organ is in working condition, the newer organ was donated as a more practical alternative. The piano is a 1920's upright.

The altar rails are hand-crafted replicas of the originals and were made by one of our volunteers, George Fincken. He built the flower tables and also restyled the altar table, the pulpit, and reproduced the two lamp stands to match the originals that now hold the Glazier Memorial Bell. The Cross and electric candles were gifts to the Manatee Methodist congregation on their 100th anniversary and were moved with the building. The pulpit chairs were given to the park by Captain Davis and were early 1900's vintage. They have recently been reupholstered. The flags in the front of the church represent the Daughters of the American Revolution.

The kindergarten chairs and table were found in the rafters of the church when it was being prepared for the move to the park. They were restored by volunteers. Facing the altar, the room on the right is the artifacts room. Displays of memorabilia can be seen here. The room to the left of the altar is the bride's room. The church remains a consecrated house of worship and is still used for weddings, memorial services, and other religious events.

History and Background of the Old Church/Meeting House

This old Methodist Church has been an integral part of the history of Manatee County. In fact, it predates the County and its leaders were instrumental in establishing the County.

At the close of the Seminole Wars, the United States Government, under the Armed Occupation Act, provided heads of families with 160 acres of land in south Florida. All that was required was to build and live in a dwelling and cultivate the property for at least 5 years. Josiah Gates, who with his family, had moved from Jacksonville to Fort Brooke (Tampa) was the first to take advantage of the Act. He arrived in Manatee Village by sloop in the fall of 1841, and built his home and "public rooms" just north of the park at the foot of 15th Street East. Josiah Gates was an innkeeper. His family moved from Fort Brooke to Manatee the following Spring.

In 1842, Henry Clark and his family, also from Fort Brooke, built their compound on the Manatee River just west of Josiah Gates. Henry Clark became the first merchant.

In 1843, several new families arrived, among them, Ezekiel and Abigail Glazier from Massachusetts. The Glaziers were described as being "the first pious household, often on missions of mercy, ministering to the sick, but never forgetting religious counsel." As the community grew, Ezekiel Glazier requested that the newly established Georgia-Florida Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church send a missionary to minister the "few devout souls." The Reverend Henry Minor came and spent some days among the settlers. They would gather for devotions and religious instructions in several homes. In 1847, the Conference sent the Reverend Frank Stewart to the village of Manatee which was considered the last outpost on the circuit.

Early in 1849, the Reverend Leroy Lesley was assigned to the Hillsborough Mission whose headquarters were at Fort Brooke. Again, Manatee was the southernmost station on the circuit, but there was "much fervor and spirit." In October 1849, nine persons became chartered as the Manatee Methodist Society with Revered Lesley as the first minister. Since it was a very large circuit, Dr. Franklin Branch was elected leader the first year. Those nine chartered members are commemorated in a stained glass window bearing their names. This impressive window and two smaller windows listing the "second wave" of committed members were incorporated into the new Manatee United Methodist Church at 315 15th Street East.

In 1850, Reverend Frank Connor, a full-time pastor, was assigned to Manatee Station. He preached with such fervor that twenty-five new members were added to the society.

In May 1850, Dr. Branch and his wife, Vashti, "in consideration of the love we bear for the Church of Christ," deeded a parcel of land to be held in trust for the Union Congregation. It was known as "the meeting house lot." This lot is believed to be the northeast corner of what is now the Manatee Village Historical Park. Since most of the trustees holding the land were Methodists, as well as the minister sent by the Georgia-Florida Conference, it is not clear why they remained the Union Congregation for the next fifteen years. They were content to be a Methodist Society while they worshipped in harmony with their neighbors of other denominations. Perhaps, their numbers were too few or more probably, they felt the rest of the community would go un-churched were they to break away.

In early 1855, Manatee became a separate county from Hillsborough County. The village of Manatee was selected as the county seat and in 1860 the courthouse was built at a cost of $700.00. In 1866, the county seat was moved to a more central location in Pine Level. The first courthouse, only six years old, was sold at auction and purchased by a representative of the Union Congregation for the Methodist Episcopal Church South for $128.50. The old Union house was purchased by the James Warner family and rafted down the river to the vicinity of today's Palma Sola where it was to become the living room for this newly arrived family. A tower and bell were added to the courthouse and it served as the meeting house for the newly formed Methodist Episcopal Church South until the construction of this 1887 Sanctuary.

So, this church is actually the third building in which the congregation worshipped. Although begun in 1887, the church was not completed until 1889 due to a yellow fever epidemic in which the minister, Reverend Crowder, and many of the parishioners died.

The new Sanctuary had an open beamed ceiling with a high vaulted roof. The walls, however, were not strong enough to bear the weight of the roof and began to cause the walls to spread. The solution was to install large iron rods with turn buckles to counterbalance the weight of the roof and hold in the walls. The roof beams were reinforced in 1903 and the Sanctuary was "ceiled in" with the etched metal sheeting. This improved the acoustics considerably. Originally, there were two doors on either side of the narthex leading into the church. The men were seated on the right and the ladies and children on the left. "Miz" Mamie Glazier, wife of the grandson of Ezekiel Glazier used to say, "Men on the right, ladies on the left, but they merged in the middle." These separations were eventually solved by closing the two separate doors and adding the double doors in the middle. The steeple was probably added at the same time, forming the narthex or vestibule. There is a Star of David above the altar area. In Protestant denominations, it was a very popular addition and was referred to as the "Star of Creation." The triangular stained glass transom above the church doors signifies the Trinity. The colors from the transom are picked up in the corner pieces of the windows throughout the church. These original windows are stained glass, clear glass, and frosted glass.

There is a story about an enthusiastic church volunteer cleaning the windows and removing most of the frosting. When the choir assembled the next Lord's Day, they were almost blinded by the sun's rays streaming through the southeast exposure. An opaque paper, similar to Contact paper, was hastily added to cut out the glare. This paper remained on the windows until it was removed (with razor blades and considerable elbow grease) during the restoration of the church.

Since the move, the original pews were traced to Terra Ceia Methodist Church and exchanged for those which were in the church when received. New pews had been purchased for the church in the mid-1930's and the old pews had been relocated to Terra Ceia Methodist Church. After the exchange, pews toward the rear of the church on each side were still missing. During renovations at the Oneco Methodist Church, eight short rustic pews were discovered in their balcony and were donated to the park. The eight pews fit perfectly and completed the church's seating arrangement.

Upon enter the church, visitors notice two hand-crafted lamp stands supporting a bell. These are original lamps stands from the first church building and stood on either side of the pulpit. The Glazier Memorial Bell was mounted between the original lamp stands which held kerosene lamps on either side of the pulpit. Replicas of the lamp stands for the altar were made by one of the Commission members, a master craftsman. He crafted the wall sconces holding the kerosene lamps, the source of lighting before 1914. The present replicas are electric and cast enchanting light during evening weddings and services.

The altar rail was reproduced to match the original which was lost to termites. The altar chairs were given to the church after the turn of the century. They have recently been reupholstered. The altar table was cut down to fit properly when the church was restored to its original configuration. To the right of the altar is the original kindergarten chairs and table used in the church's Sunday School. These were found in the attic when the church was being prepared for the move to the park.

The antique organ was donated to the church by a minister who received his calling in the church. The organ was electrified in 1917. Originally, it had a hand crank to pump the bellows. The organ is in working order, however, most people find it difficult to play. The small electric organ is used for most weddings.

The flags were gifts from the Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.). The Cross and electric candles were gifts from the Manatee United Methodist Church congregation when the church was moved to the park. On the right facing the altar is the artifacts display room. On the left is the bride's room. Although no longer a denominational church, it is still consecrated and many lovely weddings, christenings, memorial services, and musicals are held in this quaint old church.

J.R. Crowder, Pastor (Circa 1888), Manatee United Methodist Church

Very little seems to be recorded about Rev. Crowder. There is not one mention of this pastor's first name, his family or length of service. Even in the list of "preaching elders" who had served Manatee Methodist, he is listed only as J.R. Crowder.

According to the Florida Flame,
(Rev. Robert M. Temple, Jr.), "The 1887 session of the Florida Conference convened in Tallahassee in December 1887, with over 100 pastoral appointments." J.R. Crowder is quoted as having said to his presiding elder, "When you go to Conference and have helped to station all of the preachers, and you have a place left that no one else wants, give me that place." Thus Crowder was assigned to Manatee Methodist.

According to One Hundred Years of Manatee Methodism,
"The plans for building a new church were begun in the summer of 1887 under the pastorate of J.R. Crowder. The funds for the construction ($4,000) had been borrowed from the Church Extension Board, but plans were delayed because of an outbreak of yellow fever." Lures of Manatee describes the outbreak of the fever in Tampa and its subsequent quarantine. The contractor for the building of the Sanctuary was known to have "run the blockade" in order to bring in the building materials. It is not known if that was the cause of the outbreak in the Village of Manatee.

Again, in the Florida Flame, Rev. Temple reports, "Crowder died at Manatee, leaving no loved ones to bury him." Another quote states, "Dr. Johnson succumbed to the fever followed by the Pastor, Rev. J.R. Crowder - November 9, 1887." Since the record of pastoral appointments show Rev. G.D. Turner and E.J. Gates were assigned to Manatee in December 1887, it is assumed that Rev. Crowder's death came either in late November (after Dr. Johnson on November 9, 1887) or early in December.

Work on the church was again begun in the spring of 1889 under the pastorate of A.A. Robinson. He was appointed in January 1889, along with E.J. Gates. Rev. J.M. Sweath, appointed in January 1891, was the first pastor to have occupied the newly renovated structure which had formerly been used as the courthouse, church, and now a parsonage to a succession of families until 1906.

The Star of Creation - "Creation's Star"

In researching the meaning of Christian symbols, it was found that the six-pointed star is one of the oldest symbols and is known as the Creator's Star, or Star of Creation, the symbol of the Sabbath. It represents the days of Creation, the completeness of the Creation, and the Sabbath day of rest. Why the early residents of Manatee Village came to choose this symbol for their church is not recorded, but it can be imagined that its representation of the Sabbath Day, a day which they honored exclusively for church activities, is the reason.

At the original church location, the corner of 15th Street East and 4th Avenue, the window caught the early morning sun from the eastern sky and the delicate colors of the stained glass cast their faint shadows over the interior of the Sanctuary. The effect this created can be appreciated in the restored configuration. The interior view of the Creator's Star was obscured when the church was remodeled in 1912. The altar platform was moved forward and a Sunday School room with a lower ceiling was built behind it. In 1955, the Church Fellowship Hall was added to that same end of the church and the window was completely concealed from view at the floor level. The window was only visible from the storage room with a light strong enough to reach the top of its thirty foot wall. With the restoration of the church, the window's beauty and symbolism can again be appreciated by visitors.