Text by Emma and Hana, students at Presque Isle Middle School
Images from
The current site of the Grant Memorial United Methodist Church is on Fleetwood Street, but it has not always been there. The old church was located on Epworth Street, the present site of Craig Green’s New York Life. The old church, formally known as the Methodist Church, was built in 1908; the church was dedicated in January of 1909. The Reverend Herman Grant was a minister there for fourteen years. The church was renamed in 1957 to honor the Reverend for his outstanding leadership in the church community. For many years the church was a faithful place to worship, but on Friday, January 19, 1996, a raging fire destroyed the church. The beautiful stain glass windows were estimated at one million dollars when it burned. Two twenty-one-year-old men were found guilty of arson soon after. A committee was founded to figure out where to build a new church and to oversee the building. Two prominent leaders in the committee were Reverend Patricia J. Thompson and Ray Hews, the chairman, who were both at the ground breaking on April 27, 1997. The church was dedicated in January of 1998. The church still serves many today in worship and for other functions.
Sources:
"Grant Memorial United Methodist Church." The Star Herald [presque isle, maine] 17 Dec. 1997: 1-1.
Graves, Richard A. Forgotten Times: A Walk Through History. 2007.