Epworth church predates Clear Space Theatre Company

Before moving out to Holland Glade Road in 2008, Epworth United Methodist Church was located on Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach, where it had been for nearly 100 years. Today, the former church building is part of Celebration Mall, which is home to Clear Space Theatre Company. At a recent Rehoboth Beach commissioners meeting, Clear Space officials approached the city about a public-private partnership to build a new theater on Christian Street. While it hasn’t been determined if that plan will come to fruition, it’s been known for some time Clear Space would like to move out of Celebration Mall. 

Epworth’s history in Rehoboth Beach dates back to 1897, when its first church building was built about where Hotel Rehoboth now stands on Rehoboth Avenue. In 1914, Epworth was literally picked up and moved to 20 Baltimore Ave., where it remained for nearly a century. This undated image shows Epworth several decades ago. The brick structure still remains. The only difference today is that the large cross is gone. The yellow building to the left is no longer there. 

Over the years, the old buildings were replaced with modern structures as the church grew. Eventually, Epworth’s growth forced it to move outside the city and into a 48,000-square-foot church on Holland Glade Road.