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History of the Building -- Its Construction
The lot on which Grace Methodist Episcopal Church
South was built was initially deeded to John Grigsby in the name
of the Republic of Texas by Sam Houston in January 1842. It was
then deeded to Jefferson and Wallace Peak and John J. Eakins on
August 11, 1855. The land had several owners until it was purchased
from Mr. C. F. Ewing by E. M. Tell for the trustees of Grace ME
Church South for $2,500, with the first payment of $50.00 being
made on October 18, 1902.
Mrs. R. C. Ayres and Mrs. L. H. Potts were instrumental
in organizing a women’s league to raise the money to pay for
the church lot and the adjacent lot. |
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Stained glass windows from the sanctuary apparently
donated by Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Ayres and Mrs. L. H. Potts.
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Grace ME Church South was designed by William A. Cann, an architect
from St. Louis who drew church plans for over 600 churches in the
United States. (Among them is the Dr. Fry Memorial Methodist Church
in the Clifton Heights Subdivision of St. Louis, built in 1905, and
whose pastor from 1984-1986 was later a member of GUMC.) Grace Methodist
was built by J. W. Slaughter Construction Co., 285 Main Street, Dallas,
at a cost of about $37,500. With the prairie-style parsonage, the
estimated value in 1903 was $55,000. |
A postcard showing Grace ME
Church South, circa 1920. |
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Parsonage before modifications. The prairie-style
house shown before modifictions circa 1940) when the front and side
porch along with the porte cochere were removed. |
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Grace ME Church South is one of the earliest and purest examples of
Gothic Revival architecture in the area. It was constructed of gray
pressed brick from St. Louis with white terra cotta finishings. It
had three quatrefoil tracery stained glass windows from the Kansas
City Stained Glass Studio. The sanctuary could seat an estimated 625
people and the Brotherhood hall, 475 people. A door between the two
could be opened for special services such as Christmas, thus seating
1,100 people. There were 16 separate classrooms located in the Brotherhood
Hall and in the basement. There was also an entertainment hall and
kitchen in the basement. |
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