First Methodist Episcopal Church in Port Tampa City
View of church members in front of First Methodist Episcopal Church in Port Tampa City : Port Tampa City, Fla. 1925. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Port Tampa Church. 2022. © Chip Weiner
According to its website, The Port Tampa United Methodist Church was built by a group of Northern Methodists to provide a place of worship for the local railroad builders and dock workers in the late 1800s. In 1902, the Port Tampa Methodist Church purchased the building from the Northern Methodists. Legend has it that some of Teddy Roosevelt’s men, ship workers, and other residents came to worship here.
The Victorian Queen Anne-style building featuring the original church pews, stained-glass windows, and antique light fixtures is now called the Port Tampa Church and is run by the Palma Ceia United Methodist Church. Classrooms have been added adjacent to the original structure.
© Chip Weiner. All rights reserved
From Burgert Brothers: Look Again, Vol.2