...go out into the highways and the hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."

Luke 14:23 

The property was bought for the First United Methodist Church Camp Ground in 1832 and the first Camp Meeting was held in 1833. The Arbor stands as a gathering point for Annual Camp Meeting services as well as the delicious covered dish dinners which precede each. It also stands as a focal point with its sawdust floor and hand-hewn timber beams. Some say this is the original Arbor which survived the Civil War. However, no one can be sure due to the loss of all recorded history in 1902.

This early home of the First United Methodist Church was constructed in 1891. It was located on a hill north of the Historic Gwinnett County Courthouse and Lawrenceville square. It was at Oak Alley, now Oak Street, and Perry Street. It burned in 1902, along with the adjacent schoolhouse.

Following the loss of the wooden structure, the First United Methodist Church moved down the hill and east of the old Courthouse. The new location was just off of the Lawrenceville square on Pike Street, where it remains today housing another church family. After renovations in 1920 and 1957, a move was made in 1972.

Our current office area and adjacent two-story wing opened as the First United Methodist Church's new home in 1972. This location would suffice until growth necessitated a move to our new Sanctuary. The beautiful new Sanctuary built in 1983 allowed seating for six hundred and increased space for the music program, library and parlor.

Subsequent building in 1997 would include renovations to the Sanctuary with additional seating to accommodate nine hundred and fifty. A new thirty-thousand square foot, three-story wing was also constructed which currently provides the lower level for the youth program, the middle level for the Parents' Morning Out Program, Nursery and Adult Sunday School and the main level is entirely dedicated to the Family Life Center and Kitchen.

With the close of 1998, yet another renovation project was completed to allow for still further staff growth and expansion. The old sanctuary space originally built in 1972 and later used as a fellowship hall was once again refurbished to accommodate the growing church staff and administrative office space.

In 1999, existing space was renovated to include a prayer chapel, which contains 4 of the original stained glass panels from the Pike Street location. These panels survived several renovations and have been restored to their former beauty. Melding the past with the future, First United Methodist Church saw the necessity of providing technology for member and community use. Therefore, a state of the art computer lab was implemented in 2000.

The story continues...

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