My Home Town

I grew up in Alvin, Texas. I have made reference to Alvin from time to time. I returned to Alvin about 6 years ago for my 40th High School Reunion. I do not have a lot of good things to say about Alvin today, but when I grew up here it was a different place. I have sorted this through and have realized that it was different for several reasons. For a few posts I will explore the Alvin I grew up in, in pictures. What is it is today is for another venue.

One of the centers of my early life in Alvin was the Church. I went to the First Methodist Church in Alvin.



The Church Building was a marvelous place for me. First there was the majestic steps that led up to the sanctuary. I am sure it was one of those "seemed like a good idea at the time" thing. In 1962 a new Church Building was built because many of the older members could not climb the stairs. It is has been a problem for the building ever since.



Above is a side view of the Church. The Church had a basement. With Alvin being only 30 feet above sea level, basements were not a common thing. So to keep the "basement" from being the first floor, a small hill was built all around the Church. I and other children gleefully rolled down the mountain when ever we could.



Above is the side of the Church that bordered Sidnor. Across the street on the Sidnor side of the Church was the Parsonage. One of the magical things to me as a child was the stairways and balconies. There was an outside balcony at the half-floor level and a balcony in the Sanctuary. When one entered on the "ground" level one went down a half flight of steps to the "basement". From there one went up the main stairwell. At the half floor there was an outside balcony, the on the one floor level one went into the sanctuary. Up one more half level was a second outside balcony, and then up one more half level was the Sanctuary Balcony. I used to have dreams that there was another outside balcony and sanctuary balcony. The stairway for me was a vertical hall of many doors.



This building deserves to be restored. It was a unique architectural style. If I had money it would be restored as a Cultural Center. Alas I have no money and the building will deteriorate and be torn down. It is just a building but it will always have a place in my heart. When the Church moved to the new Building on South Street, the Church changed. To me the Old Church was warm place. It did not have Air Conditioning until the mid-1950's. I remember getting a hand held fan along with the Bulletin from the Ushers each Sunday.



Above is a picture of the Church about 1962. The windows of the basement were not yet sealed up nor is the lower outside balconies.



The new Church (above) was more formal, cold. It was beautiful, but distant. I fought the formality in my late teens. Eventually I left the Church. Most of my fond memories of my Church are from the Old Church. It could be that I was a small child in the Old Church and a rebellious teen in the New Church, but I don't think so.

A Church is supposed to be the House of God. I felt that in the Old Church, the New Church was more a House of Man's Pride and desire for position on Earth. Today the New Church, not new any more, has been opened up. It is more accessible. The Services are not so formal. It of course is no longer my Church, has not been for over 40 years.