Epworth Church 1898 added to Rehoboth diorama

Epworth Church was first built in 1898 at what was then No. 99 Rehoboth Ave., now the triangular lot across from The Pearl Restaurant housing a tiny ice cream vendor’s booth this year.

Commodore Shock, a celebrated Civil War naval officer, who owned a beachfront cottage where Obie’s by the Sea is today, was a primary benefactor. The commodore proposed naming the church after the birthplace of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.

The 1898 Epworth church at 99 Rehoboth Ave. was located on farmland outside the Rehoboth town center in the 1890s. But in 1913, Scott’s Chapel, a nondenominational church that had occupied 20 Baltimore Ave. burned down in what was Rehoboth’s most disastrous fire. In all, 30 buildings were destroyed, mostly on Baltimore Avenue. The burned-out site of Scott’s Chapel provided a downtown location for the Epworth congregation, so, in 1914, the Epworth Church was moved to its new location on logs drawn by a team of horses. Because the move happened over the weekend, Sunday service was held in the center of Rehoboth Avenue, in the church on its log foundation. The original Epworth Church structure still exists at 20 Baltimore Ave., although it’s indistinguishable due to many subsequent additions and renovations.

The diorama model of the 1898 Epworth Church is sponsored by John Gauger, a member of the current Epworth Church. 

The diorama is a multi-year project to replicate Rehoboth Avenue during its railroad era, which lasted 85 years. The miniature village is on display in the Rehoboth Beach Main Street building between Grove Park and the Rehoboth Beach Museum. To learn about the project, go to goldenageofrehoboth.com. By appointment, Lovett hosts free, informal gatherings at the diorama so visitors can schedule a time, bring their coffee and hear the stories. Contact Paul Lovett at paul@pdlovett.com or call 302-893-9391 to confirm a time.