St. Thomas Methodist Episcopal Church (ca. 1857)
St. Thomas Methodist Episcopal Church (ca. 1857)
St. Thomas Methodist Episcopal Church (ca. 1857) was originally located in Shortly, Delaware. The architecture is typical of 19th century rural churches on the Delmarva Peninsula. At its original location, the church had a small cemetery to the east and west of the building and was located off the road in a heavily wooded area.
The building is a wonderful example of rural church architecture of the 1800's. The steeply pitched roof, arched windows and stained glass are classic Victorian features. The pews, chairs, pulpit, altar table and cast iron stoves are original to the church. The two chandeliers and lamps on either side of the pulpit were also donated with the building.
The church was rebuilt in 1892, 1906, and 1914. Services were discontinued in the 1920's and St. Thomas was closed. After this, the church was only used for the annual homecoming
and other special services. Sadly, the building fell into disrepair over the years due to a lack of funding dedicated to support its long-term preservation.
2019-2020 Restoration Project
To return this special building to its former glory, the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village contracted with Roberts Construction to restore the building. Work on the St. Thomas Church Restoration project began in August 2019 and was completed in September 2020.
