When the Methodist Church was on Washington Street

The church now known as Trinity Methodist Church had several locations in Sandusky before it occupied the building (shown above still under construction) on Washington Street, between Jackson and Decatur Streets in downtown Sandusky in 1874, where the Merry-Go-Round Museum is currently located. This stereograph image was created by Sandusky photographer A.C. Platt in the 1870s or 1880s.

Here is a picture of Washington Park in 1894, which features several Sandusky churches:

The Congregational Church can be seen at the left. Zion Lutheran’s congregation worshipped in the former Beatty Church, a small two story building just northwest of the Congregational Church. The tall steeple of the Methodist Church can be seen on the south side of Washington Street, while the First Presbyterian Church can be seen on the north side of Washington Street. The First Presbyterian Church was built in Sandusky in 1853, and it remains in that location today.

By 1915 the steeple of Trinity Methodist Church had changed significantly.

Because the United States Government wanted to build a post office in Sandusky at the site of the Methodist Church, around 1917 the Methodists stopped meeting at their building on Washington Street. Services were held at various locations for a few years. Construction was begun on the new building for Trinity Methodist Church in 1922, at the corner of Wayne and East Jefferson Streets.

Methodism in Sandusky and Erie County has a rich and interesting history. If you would like to learn more about the history of churches in Sandusky, the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center has five archival boxes which all pertain to the history of area churches. Inquire at the Reference Services desk for more information.