Westminster Presbyterian to mark 90th anniversary July 10
Westminster Presbyterian Church will be celebrating its 90th anniversary at its 10 a.m. service, Sunday, July 10, at 301 King Charles Ave., Rehoboth Beach.
The church cornerstone, with the year 1932 chiseled on it, can be seen at the southwest corner of the building. It was 90 years ago when Westminster's charter members and other supporters gathered to dedicate the building to serve the resort area.
Westminster Presbyterian Church established its roots when Mrs. Thomas Holland began gathering people in early 1931 who were interested in setting up a Presbyterian church in the area. Joined by folks from the Rehoboth Church at Midway, this small group began meeting at the Blue Hen Theatre, then moved to the Carmine Building at First Street and Rehoboth Avenue. Services were conducted there until the present church building was completed.
By October 1931, a petition from this dedicated group was presented to the New Castle Presbytery, seeking the right to establish a church in Rehoboth Beach. Signatures on the petition and mentioned in early documents show some of today's most well-known family names in Sussex County, including Holland, Hughes, Schmierer, Megee, Little, Edwards, McCabe, Pepper, Lingo, Rust and Ewing.
The original building was constructed using much voluntary effort from members of the newly formed congregation. Records show that the basement was excavated using wagons, mules and scoop buckets. Church records indicate that construction of the original building was estimated to have cost approximately $9,000.
The New Castle Presbytery approved the petition, and the organization of the church was completed Nov. 1, 1931. The charter incorporating the church according to the laws of the state of Delaware was prepared by James Tunnell Sr. of Georgetown. In February 1932, the building committee engaged the services of an architect, and on July 10, 1932, Elder Victor Hughes put the cornerstone in place in the morning, and the building was dedicated that afternoon by the Rev. John Humphrey.
Expanded in 1957 and again in 2010, Westminster Presbyterian Church welcomes locals and visitors alike, with the mission statement A Place for All to Belong, Welcoming Everyone in the Name of Christ.
To learn more, go to westminster-rehoboth.org.
