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THE ALABAMA-WEST FLORIDA CONFERENCE
COMMISSION ON ARCHIVES AND HISTORY
HISTORIC CHURCHES
Verbena UMC
Verbena, Alabama
Built in 1876.
 Natalie Williams Anderson provided the following description of Verbena UMC: “There it stands in all its beauty! On a hill where the Verbena exit road from Highway 65 makes an abrupt (almost right angle) turn to the village. A building, simple and dignified, a white wooden building with a red steeple and bell tower, and red steps leading to a porch supported by four large columns. It is surrounded by ancient trees and beautiful greenery.”
Indeed, Verbena seems to inspire a serene spiritual soothing influence in everyone who visits this picturesque place. This was a popular resort village in the late 19th century and early 20th century for Montgomery residents. Many escaped the capitol city’s congestion and possible contraction of yellow fever by boarding the passenger train to Verbena. Some of the most prominent families of Montgomery owned weekend getaways and summer homes in Verbena.
Church member O.E. Howard says the outstanding architectural feature of this church has to be the ceiling. “It was built in about 1922. Mister Sid Gibson and my uncle did the carpentry work. It was Mr. Gibson’s design.” The natural wood ceiling and beams are very attractive.
O.E. Howard said “In 1928 I was 10 years old. And we had a Methodist evangelist come through. He preached one of those ole Hell, fire and brimstone weeks. He scared me so bad that I joined the church!”
The pews, window moldings, and altar rail are additional striking woodwork accents in the sanctuary. There are other historic homes in Verbena such as the Sidney Gibson estate, an old doctor’s office, and the Verbena Methodist Church’s parsonage built in 1906.
http://archives.huntingdon.edu/archivescenter/Verbena%20UMC.htm |
