The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-08-28
EarJ HiStory Of Ley Memorable
Recorded IN Judge Brome5 Book

Hall School. Their first pastor was
Reverend John Al. Giddens, VINO
was then living in Key West on
account Of i'll health.
In 1887 they bought a lot on
the corner Of Watson and Virginia
Streets, and the old Sparks Chapel
building moved thereon, and Mem
orial Church, Methodist Episcopal,
South, began its mission for good.
In 1903 they bought an adjoining
lot, and erected a pastors home.
Among the members Of this
Church were Mr.. T. J. Pinder and
family, Mr.. Blake Sawyer and fam
ily. Mr.. william McClintock, Mr..
Hubert Roberts and family, Mr..
E. E. Archer and Mr.. Benjamin
Carey.
Congregation Numbered ~
The membership is now one hun
bred and ninety-tWO, and two hum
dred and fifty scholars are enroll
ed in the Sunday School.
The Reverend T H. Sistrunk, the
pastor in charge, is a gifted ora
tor, with the courage Of his con-
yictions, and aggressive IN all
movements toward civic uplift.
So wrote Jefferson B. Browne in
s.Key West s. The old and The
New" The Record Company, st.
Augustine, 1912, p. AZ. So far as is
known this is the only reliable his
torical statement, concerning Ley
Memorial Methodist Church, now
extant.
The Church is now in its third
building and its third location. In
1910 the original old Sparks Cha
pei building was blown off its four-
dalton BY hurricane and just
three years later it was destroyed
by fire.
July 1918 Fire
After the fire in July, 1913, the
then Memorial Church moved its
activities to the Seminary building
on United Street. This building,
which is now headquarters for the
public school maintenance depart
ment, was built and used for many
years as a parochial school by the
Methodist Church.
During its tenure at the Semin-
airy the Church built a tabernacle
type building at United and Geor-
gia Streets, and subsequently erect
ed the present parsonage at 1909
United Street.
The Tabernacle burned some
time between 1914 and 1918. Fol-
lowing this fire the congregation
moved to the Maloney Building,
now known as the Stone Hotel and
Central Pharmacy. al the corner
Of Truman and White Street.
Old Foundation
The cement foundation which can
now be seen at the corner of Unit
ed and Georgia Streets was the
beginning of new Church build
ing on that corner. However, be-
fore the new building could be
erected the congregation was Civ
en- an opportunity to purchase the
present sanctuary on Truman Ave-
nue. at Georgia Street. The pur-
chase of the present sanctuary
which was built by the Christian
Scientist congregation in 1912, was
effected in 1918 for the reported
sum Of six thousand dollars.
The Annex - the wooden section
of the building = was originally
part Of the Salvation Army Hall
and was moved and added to the
Church in the mid-thirties.
History To Date
The real estate and building his
tory Of the Church was completed
in 1852, when the old Maloney
homestead was purchased at 1915
Truman Avenue. This building is
currently being used to house the
children's division of the Church
School and Girl Scout activities.
II is not known exactly when the
name of the Church was changed
from memorial Church" to "Ley
Memorial Church" It is known,
however, that the LEY" was add
ed as a result Of the pastorate of
the Reverend E. L. Ley, who serv-
ed the Church from 1916 until 1928.
Rev. LeY's Passionate
According to an article written
by Mr.. Earl Adams, now Clerk of
the Circuit Court for Monroe Coun-
ty. and appearing in The Miami
Herald about 1890, the twelve year
pastorate Of the Reverend Mr.. Ley
was considered to have been a re-
cord for tenure in the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South at that
time.
During the history of Ley Mem
orial Methodist Church it has had
thirty-one pastors, each of whom
served an average of about two
and one-third years. Only three of
this number served more than
three years. They were the Rev.
erend E. L. Ley. 1916 to 1928; tie
reverend o. c. Howell, June 1887
to June 1s41; and the present pas
tor the Reverend Elson Simmons,
w',o will have, ccmrlet-d five Years
. -t~- IN Fo,-s 4 4~--