January 25, 1912
A Method to the Methodists

One of the earliest church groups to organize in Key West was the Methodist, who held their first services in 1837 and built their first sanctuary in 1847. By 1868, when the Methodist Episcopal Church South decided to add music to their services, a small group of Key Westers chose to form a new congregation where music would be prohibited. The thirty original members included many family names well-recognized as part of Key West's past­ including Pinder, Curry, Russell, Roberts, Albury and Demeritt. They called their organization Sparks Chapel, after Rev. J.O.A. Sparks, their first pastor.

Their temporary home was replaced in 1887 by a beautiful frame church building at the corner of Fleming and William Streets­ its two spires visible from all around. Then, in the hurricane of 1909, the building was destroyed. Above is an effective "before" and "after" photograph from that October. For more than two years, the congregation worshiped in the Harris School auditorium on Southard Street. By 1911, sufficient monies had been raised to lay the foundation for a new masonry structure.

And what could be more meaningful than to celebrate the construction of the new Sparks Chapel during the week the train came to town? Bishop Candler was invited to join the local congregation and be part of the excitement. On Wednesday, January 24th, Dr. and Mrs. J.Y. Porter held an informal reception in his honor with seventy-five people in attendance who enjoyed a musical presentation by instructors and students of the Hargrove Institute­ a Methodist-affiliated school on United Street. (The irony of having the anti-music congregation entertained by a musical presentation doesn't escape us.) Then on Thursday, the cornerstone for the new church was laid with seven local ministers participating in the service in addition to Bishop Candler. Listed on the cornerstone as chairman of the building committee is Richard Peacon­ a successful merchant with a one-block-long street named after him between Caroline and Eaton.

The church still stands today­ it's the Southernmost Prayer and Faith Center Church­ and the engraving on the cornerstone takes us right back to that exciting week in January of 1912.