First United Methodist Church

The First United Methodist Church originally called the Chester Hill Methodist Episcopal Church, was built during 1900-1901. In the 1880s the village of Mount Vernon began to rapidly grow after the Civil War and was established as a city in 1892. To serve this growing ares, a group of Methodists petitioned the Bishop to establish a new parish separate from the First Methodist Episcopal Church.They were successful and the Chester Hill Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1897 and services were held in a wooden chapel until a more permanent building could be constructed. 

The congregation chose a well-known architect and specialist in Church design, George W. Kramer. Kramer was from Akron. Ohio and implemented the “Akron Plan” in his design. This was an unusual floor plan that featured a broad polygonal amphitheater instead of a rectangular nave. This design brought the congregation closer to the altar, pulpit, and lectern of the sanctuary. The Akron Plan became particularly favored by the Methodist Church during this period and is often credited to Kramer. 

The Chester Hill Methodist Episcopal Church is a prime example of Romanesque Revival Ecclesiastical style, featuring pronounced round arches and heavy stone or brick walls. Today the Church sits on a spacious plot of land facing East Lincoln avenue, with a spectacular 85-foot bell, and clock tower which is the focal point of the building. Since its completion, the only major structural change made was the addition of a large Sunday-school wing in 1935.

Because of the social and economic changes brought by WWII, Methodist congregations declined in Mount Vernon. As a result, the First Episcopal Methodist Church in the downtown area closed and merged with the Chester Hill Church which created the First United Methodist Church. Recent social and economic changes have revived the Church and it has an active congregation.

1. First United Methodist Church, National Register of Historic Places. Accessed December 6th, 2020.
2. First United Methodist Church of Mount Vernon NY. Accessed December 10, 2020. https://www.fumcmvny.org/.
3. Williams, Gray. Picturing Our Past: National Register Sites in Westchester County. 2003.