Wesley Monumental Church on Taylor Square

This painting features the Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church on the southwest trust lot of Taylor Square in Savannah’s Historic District.  This magnificent building is named for John Wesley and his brother Charles, who journeyed together across the Atlantic on The Simmonds from Kent, England, and arrived in Savannah in 1736 on behalf of the Trustees of the Georgia Colony and upon the request of Savannah founder, James Oglethorpe.

 A storm ensued during the voyage across the ocean, snapping the mast and causing panic among many passengers. This was when John Wesley came to admire the Moravian settlers on the ship, who remained calm during the storm because of their deep religious faith and spirituality.

 Wesley was the minister of the newly established Savannah parish of the Church of England. His brother was generally at his side, focused mainly on writing hymns, while John managed the pulpit. However, their stay in Savannah did not go as well as the two brothers had hoped; it ended in disappointment, mired in a minor scandal over a young lady named Sophia Hopkey. When John denied her communion, legal proceedings were brought against him, which ended his Savannah experience. The Wesley brothers returned to England in 1737. A year later, John experienced a religious conversion and devoted his life to evangelism. John Wesley is credited for bringing ‘Methodism’ out of the Church of England, although he remained an Anglican throughout his life. He died in 1791.

America’s first Methodist Church was established in Savannah in 1807. The Wesley Monumental United Methodist Church was founded in 1875. However, financial difficulties often slowed its construction, a shared experience throughout the South after the Civil War. It took until 1878 before a small part of the church's first floor could be utilized.  Twelve years later, the sanctuary on the second floor was finally finished. The twin steeples, the stucco, the stained-glass windows, the fabulous Noack church organ, and other distinguishing features of the church would all come much later. The steps leading to its red door were not in place until 1927.