Asbury First United Methodist Church is located on East Avenue in
Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...
, United States. It traces its heritage to several Rochester congregations dating back to the 1820s.
[ Richard Henn] In its current form, it is the result of a 1934 merger of First Church and Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church. With a congregation of 2,300 people, it is the largest United Methodist church in the Rochester area.
Asbury First presents an annual concert series featuring regional musicians and national touring groups. The Asbury First Dining and Caring Center serves meals to the homeless; the Asbury First Storehouse provides donated clothing, kitchenware, and bedding. The church also supports a Grocery Bag Ministry, Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality Network, School 41 tutoring and outreach, and projects in India, Nicaragua, and Kenya.
Located in the
East Avenue Historic District
East Avenue Historic District is a national historic district located at Rochester in Monroe County, New York. The district consists of a series of large 19th and early 20th century homes, houses of worship, meeting houses, and museums. It conta ...
,
the church property features several historic buildings, including the 1953 Gothic Sanctuary, and 1050 East Ave., also called the Wilson Soule House, a stone
edifice
A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and funct ...
that is one of Rochester's finest examples of
Richardsonian Romanesque style.
History
Origin
Asbury First
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelic ...
is the result of the union of two churches and five denominations. The First Wesleyan
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...
of the village of Rochester was formed in 1821. Asbury M.E. Church was formed in 1836 by Methodists who lived on the east side of the Genesee River.
Both First and Asbury survived hard depressions in the 1840s and 1850s to remain strong influences in the city. A strong Sunday School was developed early, and has continually been a feature of Asbury, First, and Asbury First Churches.
In 1866, Asbury Church purchased a pipe organ, the first Methodist Church to include instrumental music in a service.
The building housing First Church burned in 1933. A few months later the First and Asbury congregations united.
Campus Architecture
The present church building was constructed in 1953-55 in the
American Gothic style. The education wing was added in 1961.
The stained glass windows were designed by George Haushalter.
[ Democrat and Chronicle - Rochester, N.Y.] The construction and style owes much to the dedication of Dr. Weldon Crossland, minister for 28 years.
[ InspiredAssociates.com]
Two mansions are also part of the campus. 1050 East Ave (The Wilson Soule House) is considered one of the most important 19th century houses surviving in Rochester; it was built in 1890.
[ EastmanHouse.org] From 1894 to 1905
George Eastman
George Eastman (July 12, 1854March 14, 1932) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. He was a major philanthropist, establishing the Eastman ...
and his mother lived in the house. Eastman had a darkroom constructed in the basement (now the Asbury First Storehouse) and made other changes to the interior.
The building now houses the church's administrative offices. 1010 East Avenue was built in 1907 in a Tudor style, and now houses the Dining and Caring Center and church meeting rooms.
References
External links
AsburyFirst WebsiteAFUMC - Music Program
{{Coord, 43, 9, 5, N, 77, 34, 33, W, display=title
United Methodist Church
Churches in Rochester, New York