First United Methodist Church, Birmingham

Founded in 1872, First United Methodist Church—originally named the First Methodist Episcopal Church South—has stood as a steadfast spiritual and community presence in the heart of downtown Birmingham for over 150 years. Its first gathering took place in January of that year in a storefront called the Bryant House, located at 1st Avenue and 21st Street North. Just months later, the congregation erected its first dedicated building: a modest frame structure built on land acquired from the Elyton Land Company for only $5.

By the early 1880s, that humble structure gave way to a larger brick sanctuary two blocks south, adorned with tall lancet windows and a bell tower. But it was in 1891 that First Church truly came into its own, with the completion of the grand Sanctuary that still serves as its spiritual home today. Designed by George Kramer of the Ohio-based firm Weary and Kramer, the building is an elegant example of American Romanesque Revival architecture, clad in Ohio brownstone. A Tiffany & Company marble baptismal font was added to mark the Sanctuary’s opening.

The church expanded over the years to meet the needs of its growing congregation. An Administration Building was added in 1921, followed by an Office and Chapel Building in 1950 and an Education Building in 1964. A major renovation of the Sanctuary took place in 1972, and another followed in 2014, restoring the interior’s original 1891 coloring and detail. In recognition of its architectural and cultural significance, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.