Manatee County Historical Commission Working to Raise $75,000 for Steeple Repairs

The steeple on the 1887 Old Meeting House — the center of Manatee Village Historical Park — has become the victim of termites and with the upcoming hurricane season is in danger of being lost to the community.

In order to save the structure the Manatee County Historical Commission must raise $75,000. After a professional evaluation, a “from the grounds up” approach to repairs has been recommended. Phase I of the project — a foundation for teh rest of the repairs — has been completed. During Phase II the vestibule will be reinforced systematically from the inside out.

Phases III, IV and V will complete the reinforcement of the tower, belfry and spire. This process will permit the Old Meeting House to remain open and available to the public during the reconstruction.

The Old Meeting House has been the center of Manatee Village Historical Park since it was established and is one of the main attractions. The Old Meeting House, the oldest house of worship in Manatee County, provided a place for the community’s most momentous occasions, celebrations, and cultural exchanges. But after more than 125 years of service to generations of county residents this historic Bradenton landmark is at great.

“While the steeple has stood for many years it will not be there in the future if we don't make the repairs to keep it standing,” said Jan Greene, chairwoman of the Manatee County Historical Commission.

Phase I was completed with funding from the Edward & Lillian Bishop Foundation. Approximately $25,000 is needed for Phase II, and while a little over $19,000 has been raised, $6,000 still needs to be raised before work on this phase of the project can begin.

"This remarkable wood-framed structure is an example of the craft and care that our ancestors devoted to this community when they began building it in 1887, and the generations that have taken care of it since then," said Joe King, a spokesman for the Park’s Development and Maintenance Committee . Now is our opportunity to do our part.”

Contributions can be sent to the: Manatee County Historical Commission, 1404 Manatee Ave. E., Bradenton, FL 34208. Write “Steeple Fund” in the memo section of the check and note in correspondence if you wish your donation to remain anonymous.  

Timeline of the old meeting house:

1843-1863 - Christians of many denominations, called the Union Congregation meets for services held in homes, places of business or the County’s first courthouse; Circuit rider ministers made occasional visits

1887 –Union Congregation members pull away to form their own churches and the Methodist congregation begins construction on a building to accommodate a growing membership

1887 - Construction halted due to a yellow fever epidemic which claimed the lives of the pastor and many in the congregation

1888-1889 - Construction resumes and the church opens to house the first Christian congregation south of Tampa on the Florida mainland

1890 - Turnbuckle bars added to strengthen and hold the walls of the church which were spreading under the weight of the high roof and steeple

1902/1903 - Metal ceiling tiles added for additional structural integrity and improved acoustics

1975 – Manatee United Methodist Church plans to construct a new building and the Old Meeting House and the first courthouse, that had also once served as a meeting house, are in the way and faced with demolition.  A concerned group from the church forms the Heritage of Manatee’s Environment committee (which would later become the Manatee County Historical Commission). The congregation agrees to donate both buildings to the newly formed Manatee County Historical Commission that has its preservation at heart.

1975 –Fundraising is initiated by the Commission to move the historic buildings and begin restoration

1976 – December 4, 1976 - The Old meeting House is moved in the dark of night to its new location at Manatee Village Historical Park, a few blocks from the original site

1976, July 4^th – The Old Meeting House, a U.S. Bi-centennial preservation project, opens as a nonsectarian, consecrated house of worship. The first service in the Church was for the Christening of a great-great grandchild of K. W. Wiggins  

1976-2012 – The Old Meeting House is used for weddings, baptisms, memorial services, meetings and Park programs. Over 1300 weddings have been held at the historic site. Today it serves as a reminder of our community’s earliest founders and their reliance on God as they created a new home in the wilderness that was called "The Manatee Lands”