Wasn’t 1867 quite a year? That’s when the story of Grace United Methodist Church truly begins not in Washington DC but in Gaithersburg Maryland. It started as English’s Class a small Methodist Episcopal congregation. They met in homes led by Thomas English a class leader. Circuit-riding preachers from Rockville conducted services. As the group grew they moved to St Luke’s Presbyterian Meetinghouse. This small building resembled a home more than a church.
The Civil War tested their faith. Most members sympathized with the South. English however favored the North. The war’s end brought division. The Baltimore Conference split. Many congregations joined the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Sixty Southern sympathizers from English’s Class built a new church. This became the parent church of Grace United Methodist Church.
Located on Frederick Road where Forest Oak Cemetery now stands it was known as the Gaithersburg Methodist Episcopal Church South. It was more commonly called the Forest Oak Church. Those who favored the North formed Epworth Methodist Episcopal Church. The men of the Forest Oak congregation built their church donating their labor. Dedicated on November 17 1867 it boasted about 60 members mostly farmers. Scharf’s 1882 History of Western Maryland described it as a beautiful frame structure.
It had a bell tower steeple and was buff colored. Tall plain glass windows protected by shutters were on the sides. Smaller stained glass windows were in the front. A simple pump organ kerosene lamps and wood stoves provided warmth and light. It was hot near the stoves cold further away. By 1887 the congregation grew supporting its own circuit. A parsonage was built nearby. The Gaithersburg preacher served other small churches. By 1903 they had over 250 members. Their building was too small.
Expansion plans began in 1904. They purchased land from Carson Ward and John Wesley Walker. The site is the present location. It was on Frederick Road near Walker’s farm now Walker Avenue. They chose a design resembling Grace Methodist Episcopal Church South in Middletown Virginia. This was the hometown of their previous pastor David Harris. Baltimore architects Frank and Henry Davis drew the plans. Construction began in 1905. Workers came from Pennsylvania. A cornerstone laying ceremony was held on May 20th. Governor Edwin Warfield attended.
Gaithersburg businesses closed so everyone could attend. The Pentalpha Masonic Lodge laid the stone. About 2000 people were there. This was impressive considering Gaithersburg’s population was only 547 in 1900. The new sanctuary was dedicated on December 10 1905. It cost $17000. The Montgomery Sentinel reported the membership included prominent wealthy citizens. From the outside the church looks much the same today. Inside however it has changed.
An acetylene generating system provided light until electricity arrived in 1913. A coal furnace generated steam for heat. The basement Owen Hall wasn’t finished until 1919. Toilets and running water came in the late 1920s. Two windows behind the pulpit were moved. Pews were only in the front. There was no center aisle in the first four rows. The back was for Sunday school classes separated by folding doors. A Moller Organ Company organ was installed in 1916. By 1955 they needed more meeting rooms. The Methodist Youth Fellowship raised funds for a new educational building. In 1959 they voted to expand. A Georgian Colonial addition was built. It included the Wesley Room and restrooms. A two-story section had seven classrooms. The cornerstone was laid in 1960 by the Pentalpha Lodge. The addition is the Forest Oak Building.
Rapid growth led to another expansion in 1977. Bishop James Matthews and Merrill Drennan suggested relocation. But the congregation voted to stay. A major addition was planned. This new wing included classrooms a fellowship hall offices and a library. The old parsonage was demolished. A new one was purchased. The cornerstone for the Walker Building was laid in 1982. A consecration service was held that September. Grace United Methodist Church has a rich history. It reflects Gaithersburg’s growth and the enduring spirit of its congregation.