Florida Historical Markers Programs - Marker Detail

Description: The First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden had its beginnings in 1893 in Beulah, a community located two miles south of Winter Garden. It was founded on March 24, 1895 as the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The original congregation met in a room of the Beulah public schoolhouse. Services were held once a month and conducted by a circuit preacher from Apopka. By 1910, Winter Garden had grown significantly, and the congregation decided to relocate here, where they met under an arbor. A wooden frame church building was constructed in 1910 on this site. During the 1920s, the church began offering regular services and in 1942, dedicated this brick sanctuary. The new building featured art glass windows and an Aeolian organ with 1,770 pipes. A library was added in 1949 and the School Building, Fellowship Hall and Chapel were dedicated in the 1950s. In 1968, the Methodist denomination merged with the Evangelical United Brethren, establishing the First United Methodist Church. The First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden was incorporated on January 9, 1989. Since its founding, the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden has served its community by offering multiple educational and outreach programs.