First United Methodist Church

First United Methodist Church was built in 1900 and is considered one of the finest examples of Romanesque Revival architecture in Little Rock. Interesting features include square towers, large rose windows, arched windows (some of which are quite tall), and granite trim. The congregation, which was established in 1831, is the oldest Methodist congregation in Little Rock. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

The congregation's first church, a small brick building, was located on West Second Street between Louisiana and Main Streets. In 1836, the first full-time pastor was appointed to the congregation. The church was used as hospital for two years during the Civil War. In 1878, the congregation sold the church but it built another brick church in 1880. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the church on December 15, 1895. The congregation was undeterred, however, and decided to rebuild on that very day.

The present church was completed in 1900 after four years of construction. The original part housed a chapel, classrooms and offices. Over the next 20 years church membership grew, prompting the congregation to build two floors of classroom space. In 1931, the church's 100-year anniversary, the congregation added a new organ and lighting system, and redecorated the sanctuary. Peak membership rose to around 3,000 between 1940 and 1960. From the 1950s through the 1970s, the church complex grew. In the 1980s, the congregation expanded its daycare services by buying the building across the street to open the Gertrude Remmel Butler Childcare Center.

"Our History." First United Methodist Church. Accessed July 29, 2021. https://fumclr.org/about/our-history.