Seminole Heights Methodist Church
Encyclopedia
Seminole Heights United Methodist Church, also referred to as Seminole Heights Methodist or Seminole Heights UMC, is an active Methodist congregation and a historic, Gothic Revival
style church building constructed in 1927 in the Old Seminole Heights
neighborhood of Tampa, Florida
. The building is one of the contributing structures
within the Seminole Heights Residential District
, a U.S. National and Local Historic District
. Seminole Heights United Methodist Church is located at 6111 Central Avenue, at the southeast corner of the intersection of Central and Hanna Avenues.
. The school would eventually be relocated to its present campus directly across Hanna Avenue, which cleared the way for construction of a church facility on the school's former lot. Aside from being very close in age and location, Seminole Heights' namesake Elementary School and Methodist Church buildings also share in common their primary building material, yellow brick
.
The chapel was designed by one of the highly regarded architects of Tampa, Frank A. Winn, Jr. Winn is responsible for several prominent area structures, some of which have been recognized individually by the National Register of Historic Places
. The Old Lutz Schoolhouse
is one such example. In 1927, the year Seminole Heights Methodist was built, the Methodist Church in nearby Tampa Heights
completed a three-story Sunday school building, also designed by Winn.
Winn chose to design the Seminole Heights Methodist Church in Gothic Revival
style. Today, the value of Frank Winn's design, as contributed by Seminole Heights United Methodist Church, is one reason why Gothic Revival is one of the architectural styles for which Seminole Heights Residential District
is recognized .
From the front of the building, a tiered stairway ascends to the main floor where a portico
with three arched openings precedes the main entry. Inside, the sanctuary is expansive and open, lit on either side by twelve towering stained glass windows. Between each window and along each corner the building is supported by buttress-like exterior pilaster
s. The elevated main floor allows for a lookout-style basement
("Allen Hall") below, a rare feature for local architecture. The yellow brick masonry is accented with white cast concrete
detailing, and the building is topped by a steeply pitched gable
roof.
Annual Conference
of the United Methodist Church
, a Protestant
Christian denomination
. Its members meet for worship services each Sunday, with additional meetings during the week for Bible study, youth and children's programs, music rehearsals, and congregational dinners. Seminole Heights UMC sponsors special events throughout the year, such as outdoor movie nights, flea markets, craft bazaars, and church conferences, in addition to seasonal events such as an Easter Egg hunt, a pumpkin
-themed event in the fall, and a variety of functions around Christmas
. The church also operates a pre-school
and day care
from an adjacent building to the rear of the historic chapel.
and community organizations such as the Old Seminole Heights
Neighborhood Association
, which regularly uses the church building for its general membership meetings.
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style church building constructed in 1927 in the Old Seminole Heights
Old Seminole Heights, Tampa, Florida
Old Seminole Heights is a neighborhood within the city limits of Tampa, in the U.S. state of Florida. The neighborhood is one of three which comprise the greater Seminole Heights district within the city. As of the 2000 census the neighborhood had a population of 15,564...
neighborhood of Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. The building is one of the contributing structures
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
within the Seminole Heights Residential District
Seminole Heights Residential District
The Seminole Heights Residential District, known also as the Seminole Heights Historic District, is a U.S. and Local Historic District located in Tampa, Florida...
, a U.S. National and Local Historic District
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
. Seminole Heights United Methodist Church is located at 6111 Central Avenue, at the southeast corner of the intersection of Central and Hanna Avenues.
Architecture
The site where the church is located was originally the site of Seminole Heights Elementary SchoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
. The school would eventually be relocated to its present campus directly across Hanna Avenue, which cleared the way for construction of a church facility on the school's former lot. Aside from being very close in age and location, Seminole Heights' namesake Elementary School and Methodist Church buildings also share in common their primary building material, yellow brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
.
The chapel was designed by one of the highly regarded architects of Tampa, Frank A. Winn, Jr. Winn is responsible for several prominent area structures, some of which have been recognized individually by 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 Old Lutz Schoolhouse
Old Lutz Elementary School
The Old Lutz Elementary School is a historic school in Lutz, Florida. It is located at 18819 U.S. 41, North. On August 15, 1996, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places....
is one such example. In 1927, the year Seminole Heights Methodist was built, the Methodist Church in nearby Tampa Heights
Tampa Heights (Tampa), Florida
Tampa Heights is one of the oldest neighborhoods within the city limits of Tampa that's situated in the central part of the city. As of the 2000 census, the neighborhood had a population of 16,393.-Description:...
completed a three-story Sunday school building, also designed by Winn.
Winn chose to design the Seminole Heights Methodist Church in Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style. Today, the value of Frank Winn's design, as contributed by Seminole Heights United Methodist Church, is one reason why Gothic Revival is one of the architectural styles for which Seminole Heights Residential District
Seminole Heights Residential District
The Seminole Heights Residential District, known also as the Seminole Heights Historic District, is a U.S. and Local Historic District located in Tampa, Florida...
is recognized .
From the front of the building, a tiered stairway ascends to the main floor where a portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
with three arched openings precedes the main entry. Inside, the sanctuary is expansive and open, lit on either side by twelve towering stained glass windows. Between each window and along each corner the building is supported by buttress-like exterior pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s. The elevated main floor allows for a lookout-style basement
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
("Allen Hall") below, a rare feature for local architecture. The yellow brick masonry is accented with white cast concrete
Cast stone
Cast stone is defined as “a refined architectural concrete building unit manufactured to simulate natural cut stone, used in unit masonry applications”. In the UK and Europe cast stone is defined as “any material manufactured with aggregate and cementitious binder, intended to resemble in...
detailing, and the building is topped by a steeply pitched gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
roof.
Church
The congregation of Seminole Heights United Methodist is an active church within the FloridaAnnual Conferences of the United Methodist Church
The following is a list of the Annual Conferences of The United Methodist Church .-Annual Conferences in the Jurisdiction Conference :...
Annual Conference
Annual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
of the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, a Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
Christian denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
. Its members meet for worship services each Sunday, with additional meetings during the week for Bible study, youth and children's programs, music rehearsals, and congregational dinners. Seminole Heights UMC sponsors special events throughout the year, such as outdoor movie nights, flea markets, craft bazaars, and church conferences, in addition to seasonal events such as an Easter Egg hunt, a pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
-themed event in the fall, and a variety of functions around Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
. The church also operates a pre-school
Preschool education
Preschool education is the provision of learning to children before the commencement of statutory and obligatory education, usually between the ages of zero and three or five, depending on the jurisdiction....
and day care
Day care
Child care or day care is care of a child during the day by a person other than the child's legal guardians, typically performed by someone outside the child's immediate family...
from an adjacent building to the rear of the historic chapel.
Community space
In addition to its capacity as a religious house, the building plays host to community-organized events which may have little to no church or religious affiliation. Seminole Heights Elementary School uses the sanctuary for annual concerts. The building is also the site of regular meetings by groups like Narcotics AnonymousNarcotics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous is a twelve-step program modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous describing itself as a "fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem," and it is the second-largest 12-step organization...
and community organizations such as the Old Seminole Heights
Old Seminole Heights, Tampa, Florida
Old Seminole Heights is a neighborhood within the city limits of Tampa, in the U.S. state of Florida. The neighborhood is one of three which comprise the greater Seminole Heights district within the city. As of the 2000 census the neighborhood had a population of 15,564...
Neighborhood Association
Neighborhood association
A neighborhood association is a group of residents or property owners who advocate for or organize activities within a neighborhood. An association may have elected leaders and voluntary dues....
, which regularly uses the church building for its general membership meetings.