In 1973, the congregation of the United Methodist Church on 15th Street East at the center of the old Village of Manatee, began steps to build a new sanctuary. The new building would replace the existing wooden frame building that had been in use since 1887.
Originally, the older building was slated for demolition. Distressed by the possibility of losing the historic building, church members led by Norma Carter began efforts to save it.
Image: Manatee Village Historical Park Collection.
For a time, those trying to save the church struggled to gain attention. They were discouraged by news articles predicting the demolition of the church. The Methodist Conference, according to Carter's notes, said there were "No funds, no interest, no need" to preserve it. That changed when County Commissioner Ken Dierks became Chairman of the newly created Manatee County Historical Commission (MCHC) on October 14, 1974. At the same time, the Heritage of Manatee Environs (HOME) Committee was formed as an auxiliary to MCHC.
Right, Commissioner Ken Dierks. Image: Manatee County Public Library Digital Collection
Within days of Dierk's election, the MCHC's efforts began getting positive press and an uptick in interest. Carter's notes for October 20th, 1974 are remarkably upbeat. The closing sentence reads, "Believe we can do it."
As the commission's confidence and support grew, so did the scope of the project. Manatee County's original court house, then being used as a private home, was on newly acquired church property. After the congregation offered the building in addition to the church, the committee decided to include it in plans for a new historical park. Both the church and court house would be restored to their original appearances.
In January, 1975, MCHC began the work of finding a location and negotiating with the City of Bradenton for property on the south side of Old Manatee Avenue, the current brick paved street in front of the Wiggins Store. Moving the buildings from their original locations would be expensive, so a fundraising campaign became a main priority. Leaving no stone unturned, the commission sought help from city, county and state officials to find grants and help with land acquisition.
To help save money on the cost of the move, the commission had all additions built onto the court house removed. This included a large porch and other rooms. With that done, the court house was moved to its current location. It was believed the former home would be more prone to vandalism due to its location which is why it was moved first.
Similarly, post 1887 additions to the church were removed. This included an attachment to increase seating on the west side of the sanctuary.
Image: Manatee Village Historical Park Collection.
On December 4, 1975 the church was loaded onto a mobile platform and slowly moved to its present location. To minimize any disruption to traffic, the move was done overnight, as had been done with the court house.
With the buildings in place, restoration could now begin.
Image: Manatee Village Historical Park Collection.
After the buildings were moved and additional funds were raised for materials, local volunteers started working. For the church, the memories of long time congregation members helped direct efforts. The court house proved more of a challenge. Since it had been remodeled several times since 1866, there was no living memory of it's original design. The building was taken down to the frame where builder Rev. Ezekiel Glazier's original work became clear. Door and window frames remained intact, guiding placement of reproduction windows, interior walls and doors.
Through the hard work of of volunteers, the buildings were ready for dedication in time for the July Bicentinnial.
Since 1976, Manatee Village has grown to include a one room school house, settler's house, the Fogarty Boat Works, Wiggins' Store, Old Cabbage Head locomotive and a replica smokehouse and blacksmith's shop.