According to the bronze marker outside the church, On July 26, 1846, the first Methodist church in Tampa was organized with seventeen founding members. They worshipped in a primitive structure built of driftwood they called “Church-by-the-Sea”. This structure was destroyed in the great storm of 1848, and they built a new structure in 1853, naming it the Little White Church. After that church and its records were destroyed by fire, the Methodist congregation built this brick sanctuary with its 50-foot spire so it could be seen from all over town.  It was torn down in 1967 due to termite damage.

This neo-gothic structure replaced it. By the late 20th century, downtown residents had moved to the suburbs, and church attendance declined, so officials voted to discontinue the First United Methodists congregation. In 2016, the Hyde Park Methodist Church began renovating the building called The Portico. It is home to a popular coffee shop and event space, and its primary mission is helping and feeding the homeless. The small chapel next door, built in 1948, is open for meditation.

 © Chip Weiner. All rights reserved