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First
United Methodist Church
San Angelo, Texas
San Angelo has had a Methodist Church almost as long as there has been a San Angelo. After the Ben Ficklin flood in 1882, the county seat of Tom Green County was moved to the present site of San Angelo, and that same year the Reverend A.J. Potter, known as the “fighting parson” because he preached at times with a pistol on his hip and a Winchester in his pulpit, was in San Angelo as a circuit rider. He was already planning the organization of a Methodist Church here. He achieved the support of some laymen and together they built the first Methodist Church between Mason, Texas and El Paso, Texas. It was a white frame structure of forty by sixty feet. It soon became obvious that the original structure would not serve indefinitely, even with the addition of twenty feet in 1890.
The church directory of 1897 lists 203 members and their resolve to build a new and bigger church. Plans were made and a site purchased on the corner of Beauregard and Oakes, where the First Methodist Church still stands. The corner stone was laid in 1904, the building a large and impression Akron plan church, was built in 1905 and dedicated during the pastorship of the Rev. Simeon Shaw, a former missionary to Japan. At this time there was approximately 750 members. A new parsonage was built on Oakes Street adjoining the church to the south. This building served as parsonage until 1928 when it became known as Epworth Hall.
In January of 1945 however, the decision to build a new church became an immediate concern when a fire destroyed the existing building. In 1946 the cornerstone for the beautiful Gothic church, designed by Mark Lemmons of Dallas and built by Templeton- Cannon of San Angelo, was laid. The first service was held on Easter Sunday, 1949. Typical of Gothic architecture, the sanctuary features flying buttresses, the arch of aspiration, and beautiful stained glass windows on all sides. The magnificent organ was purchased and installed in 1949. The Memorial Chapel in the new building was given in memory of Douglas Bryant and Mrs. Roy Hudspeth.
A church in the downtown area of any city runs the risk of being boxed in and unable to expand. The board at an earlier time had made the decision to buy adjacent property if it became available. The opportunity rose in 1992. The Cactus Hotel was for sale and the Charge Conference voted to spend $75,000 to purchase the parking garage area of the Cactus Hotel on Twohig. The First United Methodist Church paid $70,693 in back taxes for the hotel and a three story parking garage which it intended to share with the new owners of the hotel. The Board of Trustees immediately recommended that the hotel be deeded to Historic City Center Project. The church requested that Tom Green County pass the deed of the hotel to the Historic City Center, Inc. The church retained title for the parking garage. In 1997 a gymnasium was begun which was dedicated in 1999. When the West Texas Utilities building on the east of the education building became available for purchased in 1998 the church bought it. After extensive remodeling this space provided new offices, new meeting rooms, a new library and a beautiful Heritage Hall suitable for large functions. Dedication of Heritage Hall occurred on January 16, 2000. During 2000 another ongoing project was the restoration of the basement and the courtyard at a cost of $150,000. The basement was designed to fit the needs of the growing number of young people of the church. The church then began construction of Celebration Hall, a fellowship hall large enough to hold the congregation dinners and meetings. This was completed in December, 2002.
HERITAGE HALL