“A Friendly Family Church.” That’s what Westchester Methodist Church calls itself. This church at 2547 East Tremont Ave welcomes everyone.
Westchester Methodist Church has a rich history. It began with the Zion Methodist Episcopal Church. This church incorporated in 1809 in Westchester Village. This area is now Westchester Square in the East Bronx.
The town gave the church land that year. It was on the north side of today’s East Tremont Avenue. They used it for a meeting house and burial ground. The congregation started burying people there around 1812. But they did not build their first church until 1818.
The church’s history had some twists and turns. It dissolved and reincorporated. The first church burned down at some point. Then, they built a second church on the same site. In 1915, the Methodist congregation tore down the wooden church. They planned to build a new brick building.
A title dispute delayed the new church’s construction. Finally, in 1948, the present Westchester United Methodist Church was completed.
The Methodist burial ground was next to the old church. In 1909, James Minor Lincoln recorded inscriptions. He found 51 tombstones in the Methodist cemetery. The earliest was from 1812. The latest was from 1893. The names on the stones were from Westchester families. These included Berrian, Fowler and Mann.
When the congregation demolished the church in 1915, some families moved their relatives’ remains. They moved them to other cemeteries. The remaining graves were moved to the rear of the church. This prepared the site for the new church.
In 1963, Bronx historian John McNamara visited Westchester Methodist Church. He found some tombstones. They were flat on the ground behind the church. They were neatly arranged under a peach tree.
McNamara said all the bodies were moved in 1940. He claimed they went to a cemetery in Jamaica, Queens. But there is no proof of this. It is not confirmed which cemetery they were moved to.
Today, three monuments survive from the former graveyard. They are in the low wall. This wall separates Westchester United Methodist Church from its parking lot.
These relics marked the graves of Effie Hunt. She was the wife of a church trustee. She died in 1844 at 69. Henrietta Farr died in 1888 at 30. A shared headstone marks Nettie Lynn d. 1875 and Hattie Rodgers d. 1877.
Westchester Methodist Church is more than a building. It is a welcoming community. It offers in-person worship every Sunday at 10 AM. They also stream services on Facebook and YouTube.
The church provides many ministries. These include Bible studies. There is “Sister to Sister” Bible Study. Men’s Bible Study and Monday Night Bible Study.
The Rev. Gordon Edwards and The Rev. Beverly Hodges-Fairweather lead the church. Westchester Methodist Church is part of The United Methodist Church. It welcomes all to join their journey of faith.