First and Summerfield United Methodist Church

Just across the northwest corner of the New Haven Green stands a brick edifice accentuated by white ionic columns and a towering steeple. Home to First and Summerfield United Methodist Church, the building is one of many places of worship located in and around the New Haven Green. A flight of stairs ascends from the sidewalk to the entrance to the building and vertical panels of stained glass windows decorate the sides. 

John Lovell Lancasterian School

The 1901 Sanborn Map of New Haven and 1911 Atlas of New Haven depict a separate building—a parsonage—located behind the main building, which must have allowed for residential housing of ministers of the church (7,8). But according to the 1923 Sanborn Map, there is a merging of the two buildings, most likely a product of one of the many rebuilding and renovating projects that occurred (9).

The Methodist Society had endured 60 years of persecution, dislocation, disruption and disaster by the time the first building was erected on its current site. As the name suggests, there was a merger that took place in 1981 between the former First United Methodist, founded in 1789 in downtown New Haven, and the Summerfield United Methodist, founded in 1871 and based in the Newhallville neighborhood of New Haven, to give the First and Summerfield United Methodist Church present today (3).

The John Lovell Lancasterian School, a forerunner of New Haven public education, was briefly housed in the related church building located across the street on the green. Unfortunately, due to a great storm in 1821, the building collapsed and the school was forced to relocate (4).

In addition, the church has been a place of shelter for many groups throughout its history. Some of these organizations include the unions Local 34 and Local 35 of the Federation of University Employees, Local 217 of the Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union, Y.M.C.A. day-care programs, the Metropolitan Community non-denominational Church for homosexuals, and immigrants seeking sanctuary (5,6).

The building sits on the corner of College and Elm St. with the Elihu Club to the right and Yale School of Music’s Leigh Hall located behind. Across the street is the northwest corner of the green. 

With the help of Yale University and the City of New Haven, the church was able to secure its present lot and commissioned Henry Austin, a notable local architect (1,4). Though initially built in the Federalist style, the building underwent many changes from various renovation projects over the years, resulting in the removal or alteration of many original features.

During the 1876 renovations, the entire sanctuary floor was raised and a chancel recess was added to the Northside of the building. The ornate cast-iron columns in the lower level, currently Trinity Hall, are survivors of the renovation. In 1890, the steeple was removed due to structural problems. (1,4) In 1904, following a devastating fire, further renovations of the interior and southern external façade were led by Federal Judge and Dean Henry W. Roger of Yale Law School and designed by Charles Haight (2). Haight used a hybrid Federal Revival and Eastern Orthodox style, installing a large central dome, which was structurally flat but appeared to be concave due to the optical illusion created with horizontal arcing ribs, and a new steeple. (1,4) In 1987, there was another fire that heavily damaged the roof, requiring another round of repairs. After a complete gutting of the space, which included removal of the roof, trusses, and sanctuary celling, architect Peter Kosinski redesigned the interior space but restored the roof and steeple as close to their original design (10).

1.    "First and Summerfield United Methodist Church in New Haven, USA." GPSmyCity. Accessed February 2018. https://www.gpsmycity.com/attractions/first-and-summerfield-united-methodist-church-46674.html.

2.    Sterner, Daniel. "Historic Buildings of Connecticut." Historic Buildings of Connecticut . Accessed February 2018. http://historicbuildingsct.com/?p=1305.

3.    "History – First and Summerfield United Methodist Church." First and Summerfield United Methodist Church. Accessed February 2018. http://fsumc.org/ministry/?page_id=25.

4.    Gobetz, Wally. "CT - New Haven: First Methodist Church." Flickr. August 27, 2007. Accessed February 2018. https://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/1245116854/in/photostream/.

5.    Percoski, Betsy. "Church Looks Beyond Ashes to the Future." The New York Times, December 6, 1987. Accessed February 2018. http://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/06/nyregion/church-looks-beyond-ashes-to-future.html.

6.    Peak , Christopher. "Third Immigrant Takes Sanctuary At Local Church." New Haven Independent. December 01, 2017. Accessed February 2018. http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/third_immigrant_takes_sanctuary_at_local_church/.

7.    Helms, Sam, comp. "Atlas of New Haven (1911)." Map. Accessed February 2018. https://samghelms.github.io/new-haven-historical-maps/.

8.    Insurance Maps of New Haven, Connecticut . Map. Vol. 1. Sanborn-Ferris Map Co., 1901. 2.

9.    Insurance Maps of New Haven, Connecticut. Vol. 2. Sanborn Map Company of New York, 1923. 208.

10. "First and Summerfield United Methodist Church Restoration Renovation." Kosinski Architecture. Accessed February 2018. http://www.kosinskiarchitecture.com/first-and-summerfield-chusch.html.