Walker Memorial United Methodist Church
Walker Memorial United Methodist Church (originally Elyton Methodist Church) was a Methodist church at 631 3rd Street Southwest in Elyton.
The chruch was organized on April 29, 1816 near Frog Level, a racing ground which later became Elyton. Ebenezer Hearn led the first services.
The church's original building was built near Broad and Eubanks Streets to hold services. In 1909 the building was moved to 3rd Street Southwest on rollers.
In 1910 the name of the church was changed to Walker Memorial Methodist Church to honor supporter Corilla Walker, wife of William Walker. It was after this that the church expanded and built a new two-story building on the same lot in 1921. It was designed by William Leslie Welton. In front of the church, on the portico, are eight limestone Ionic columns. These columns, costing $1,000 a piece when the building was built, and each weighing 15,400 pounds, came from Bedford, Indiana.
In April 1930 worship services at Walker Memorial, led by pastor L. G. Sturdivant, were broadcast on Sunday evenings on WKBC-AM, followed by Ruth Williams organ recital from the church.
The congregation disbanded in 1989 and the building became home to New Community United Methodist Church which had begun to be formed the year before. In time New Community became House of Restoration Church also known as Restoration United Methodist Church Mission.
Pastors
- Ebenezer Hearn, 1816
- L. G. Sturdivant, 1930
- David Bryson, –1989
References
- Satterfield, Carolyn Green (1976) Historic Sites of Jefferson County, Alabama. Birmingham: Jefferson County Historical Commission/Gray Printing Company
- "Church has shown it's durable" (April 21, 1979) The Birmingham News - via Birmingham Public Library Digital Collections
- Schnorrenberg, John M. (2000) Aspiration: Birmingham's Historic House of Worship. Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society ISBN 0943994268