First Methodist Church – Then & Now

Lorain has sometimes been referred to as the “City of Churches,” so it’s not too surprising to see one of them on a postcard.

This subject of this undated Lusterchrome postcard is First Methodist Church. It was published by Cigarette Sales Company of Lorain, Ohio.

When I was a senior in high school, I used to park in the street in front of this church whenever I went to the library. In the dark, I thought it looked like Dracula’s castle (except for the cross on top of course).

Today, the still beautiful church building is now home to Greater Victory Christian Ministries. Here’s my “now” shot from the Lorain Public Library’s private parking lot.

Coincidentally, this church is located pretty much across the street from where the Downey sisters operated their boarding house.

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Local historian and author Al Doane kindly contacted me to offer a little bit of history about the church building. He wrote, "That Church was built in 1926 to replace the old Methodist Church (below) that was built on that same corner of 6th & Reid, built in 1892 and was destroyed in the June 28th 1924 Lorain Tornado.

"I have a book that tells all about the beginning of the Methodist Church in Lorain. The Methodist Church that preceded the 1892 Church was located across the street from the Antlers Hotel on W. Erie & Washington Ave. on the NW Corner where the old smoke shop was located.” 

You can find a text-only version of the book that Al is talking about by clicking here.