Center Methodist Church
Encyclopedia
The Center Methodist Church or Center Methodist Episcopal Church is located in Provincetown, Massachusetts
at 356 Commercial Street. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The church moved to a new building in 1955.
. In 1978, it was sold to the Provincetown Historical Association and used for the display of town artifacts as the Heritage Museum. In 2005, the Provincetown Public Library moved into this building from another historic building, the old Provincetown Public Library
, several blocks up Commercial Street.
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...
at 356 Commercial Street. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The church moved to a new building in 1955.
History
The building was sold to Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. in 1958 for use as the Chrysler Museum of ArtChrysler Museum of Art
The Chrysler Museum of Art is an art museum in the Ghent district of Norfolk, Virginia. The museum was originally founded in 1933 as the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences. In 1971, automotive heir, Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. , donated most of his extensive collection to the museum...
. In 1978, it was sold to the Provincetown Historical Association and used for the display of town artifacts as the Heritage Museum. In 2005, the Provincetown Public Library moved into this building from another historic building, the old Provincetown Public Library
Provincetown Public Library (old)
The former Provincetown Public Library is a nationally registered historic place located at 330 Commercial Street, Provincetown, Massachusetts....
, several blocks up Commercial Street.
When the church was built in 1860 it was reputed to be the largest church of Methodist denomination anywhere in the United States. It cost $22,000 to complete and could seat 900 people in the 128 pews. The original spire, weakened during the Portland GalePortland GaleThe Portland Gale was a storm that struck the coast of New England on November 26 and 27, 1898. The storm formed when two low pressure areas merged off the coast of Virginia and travelled up the coast; at its peak, it produced a storm surge of about ten feet in Cohasset harbor and hurricane-force...
, was 162 feet tall and contained a huge bronze bell cast by George Holbrook in Eastmeadow, Mass., according to a history of Provincetown Methodists done in 1995 by the 200th Anniversary Committee of the modern-day Provincetown Methodist congregation. The present steeple, when it is restored, will rise only 100 feet from the ground. Even today looking from the end of MacMillan Wharf towards town, the building is one of the most prominent on the skyline.
Provincetown Public Library
At Town Meeting on April 2, 2001 the Provincetown Heritage Museum property was officially conveyed to the Board of Library Trustees for rehabilitation of the property as the Provincetown Public Library. After much study, the Trustees had concluded that the building could be successfully renovated and transformed into a new library for the Town. In 2002 renovations began to convert the building into the Provincetown Public Library when the Town engaged the firm of Perry Dean/Partners Architects to design the new library. The Provincetown Public Library website set forth the plans, “The interior of the building will be completely gutted, reconstructed and restored to its original design insomuch as is possible. ... Finally complying with the Massachusetts Historical Commission requirements to maintain the grand staircases and restore the vaulted ceiling in this National Historic Landmark property, the stairs will be re-railed in order to open them for use by the public, and the vaulted ceiling will be enhanced with a secondary vault to embrace and accommodate the masts of the Rose.”
At last, after many long years of work, the Provincetown Public Library will officially open to the public on April 28, 2005, and this great building that has had so many lives will begin a new phase in its history.