The historical marker reads:
"Trinity Church is the oldest Methodist Church in a city whose
intimate association with John Wesley and George Whitefield gives
it a unique place in the history of Methodism.
The cornerstone of the building was laid February 14, 1848, in a
ceremony presided over by the Reverend Alfred T. Mann, Pastor. The
edifice, which was completed in 1850, is in the Corinthian order of
architecture and was designed by John B. Hogg of Savannah.
Prior to the erection of Trinity Church the Methodist congregation
in Savannah worshipped in Wesley Chapel on South Broad Street.
Among the great preachers of the Methodist Church whose names are
associated with the Chapel are Francis Asbury, William Capers, John
Howard, James C. Andrew, Ignatus Few, Elijah Sinclair and George F.
Pierce. Through their faith and service others have lived more
valiantly."
From the Trinity Methodist Church web site (
visit link) :
"John Wesley arrived in Savannah in 1736. He immediately began his
avowed tasks of teaching and preaching. His brother, Charles, went
south to Frederica on St. Simon’s Island to minister.
Disappointment and frustration hampered Wesley at almost every
turn. Oglethorpe denied his plea to minister to the Indians. His
efforts to help his brother at Frederica failed. He fell in love
while traveling to America but was dissuaded from marrying by close
friends. Relatives of the young lady posted false charges that he
refused to administer Communion to her. However, she had failed to
give him the required notice according to the laws of the Church of
England.While under orders of arrest he gave notice to all
concerned that he intended to leave America immediately. He left
without hindrance on December 2 1737.
George Whitfield, a great English evangelist, arrived in
Savannah only a short time after Wesley left. Wesley had written
him pleading for help. Whitfield found a strange “state of affairs
here.” He wrote: “His name is precious among people. He has laid a
foundation that I hope neither man nor devil will ever shake.”
Whitfield took up Wesley’s ministry and enjoyed great success for a
number of years. Gradually Methodist “Societies” began to be
organized in homes and shops. A military map of Savannah of 1779
shows a meetinghouse of The Methodist Society on the corner of what
is now State and Hambersham Streets. Cornelius Winter preached here
in 1769.
Bishop Fancis Asbury visited Georgia twenty times. In 1784
Asbury sent Jesse Lee to “The Savannah Circuit.” Others who
preached in Savannah were: Hope Hull, Richard Ivy, Beverly Allen,
Thomas Humphries, John Majors, Phillip Matthews and Samuel
Dunwoody. James Russell was appointed to Savannah in 1812. Under
his leadership Wesley Chapel was constructed on the corner of
Lincoln and East Oglethorpe Avenue. Completed in 1813, this “Good,
neat house” had a congregation of thirty white and thirty-five
black members. As the congregation grew , a larger building became
necessary and the Wesley Chapel congregation changed their name to
“Trinity”.
The cornerstone of Trinity Church was laid February 14, 1848.
The land had been the garden of the Telfair Family. It was
purchased for the sum of $8,500.00, a large investment in those
days. Designed by the famed archetect John Hogg, the sanctuary and
one-story educational building were constructed at a cost of
$20,000.00. The building was completed in the fall of 1850. The
solid masonry walls are “Savannah Gray Brick” finished with stucco.
Virgin long-leaf Georgia pines were hand hewn for the framing,
flooring, and wainscoting. The boards were cut to the taper of the
tree and fitted together. The interior of the sanctuary, similar in
design to the Wesley Chapel in London, England, was fully restored
in 1969. The present McIntire Educational Building immediately west
of this sanctuary was constructed in 1927.
In the early morning hours of October 7th 1991 a fire broke out,
likely in the parlor of Trinity Church, which completely destroyed
the McIntire Building. The blaze swept swiftly through the
building. Thanks to the timely response of the Savannah Fire
Department the sanctuary was spared destruction. However extensive
smoke and water damage made the sanctuary unusable for almost two
years, until August of 1993. Now 15 years after the "Great Fire",
thanks to the diligence of the faithful membership, a dedicated
Board of Trustees, and superb pastoral leadership during those
early years after the return; Trinity Church is a thriving
congregation. In 2001 a Transitional Task Force helped Trinity
church determine a new course. In 2005, the Church accomplished a
complete exterior restoration, winning an Award of Excellence from
the Historic Savannah Foundation.
John Wesley once referred to Savannah as the scene of the
“second rise of Methodism”. As the first and oldest Methodist
church in the city, Trinity holds a unique place in the development
of both American and World Methodism."