When founded: May 24, 1924 at the home of James N. Dann with 22 members. It grew fairly quickly, necessitating a move to larger facilities. They met briefly in a store at North Street and Woodlawn Avenue and then at a small church on Woodlawn Avenue between Magnolia and North Street until a new church was erected at Clifton and Ash Avenues. Groundbreaking for the new church was November 2, 1924. Reverend William A. Ferguson, the district superintendent in charge of missions and church extensions for the area, attended and Mrs. G.W. Wilson of 23 Glenwood Avenue in Aldan was accorded the honor of turning the first spadeful of dirt.
Denomination: Methodist
History: Reverend Joseph Sproule was the first pastor. He served from 1924 to 1927. He was followed by:
Walter Hoechest 1928
John N. Althouse-1928-1929
Alfred M. Blakesley-1929
S.K. McConnell-1929-1930
W. Scott Housman-1930-1933
G.W. Perkins-1933-1936
Price M. Collins-1936-1939
Stuart A.L. Thomas-1939-1941
Willard W. Pullen-1941-1942
Howard W. Blackburn-1942
John W. Tindall-1942-1948
Under Reverend Tindall, a building fund began which raised 10,000,00 from the sale of the Mariner's Bethel church in Philadelphia. One of the stipulations for use of the money was that the name of the church would be changed. Construction for the new addition to the church began in 1946 and ended in 1948 and the name was then officially changed.
One of my childhood friends lived in that former church building at 119 S. Woodlawn (between Magnolia and North) in Aldan, in the 1960s.
ReplyDeleteIt was also formerly the home of Aldan Union Church, before they moved to their current location at Providence Rd. & Clifton Ave.