I’ve noted numerous times that the greater Germantown area has almost uniformly excellent church stock. Not just heavyweights like Immaculate Conception or Francis of Assisi, but also smaller gems like St. Athanasius, St. Vincent de Paul and the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal. And don’t forget about Our Lady of Hope which, while not in Germantown proper, basically lies on its doorstep.
It’s no surprise, then, that I felt the need to return. Germantown is almost unparalleled for its history and architecture, especially when it comes to churches. I haven’t been disappointed thus far; would another spin threaten my perfect record?
Well, the First United Methodist Church of Germantown doesn’t quite match up to some of the aforementioned giants, but it’s got some pretty cool things going on its own right. First United—hereafter abbreviated as FUMCOG (fōōm kôg), and yes, that’s actually what these people call their church—is notable for its nice gothic exterior, including a quite prominent and lovely tower. It even has gargoyles!
The interior, however, suffers from an unfortunate reliance on white plaster and wood, which never, ever works. That said, it’s structurally pretty cool, and there’s quite a bit of nice stained glass. What’s interesting here is that the glass was done by different companies; the main sanctuary windows were done by Tiffany, while the clerestory windows up top were done by a local company, Willets. The weird thing is that the color scheme doesn’t match. The main windows are oddly skewed toward dark golds and browns, which is quite a clash with the bright reds and blues of the clerestory set. Even though two different companies were involved, you’d think they’d have them work in concert, or at least try to sync up their approaches. Ah, well.
Oh, and the whole thing is thrown off even more by the use of tacky, salmon-colored wall-to-wall carpet. Blech.
How the $#%@ do I get in here?: Ah yes, of course. FUMCOG does what most Protestant churches do, and that’s eschew a prominent and dominating façade. Still, they make it easier than most to find the entrance, as the part facing out is actually the back of the church, and there are actually two doors in the front. Not once did I have to wander around in circles!
In the end, it’s ok. Not spectacular, but interesting enough to warrant some attention. The exterior is really the main attraction; certainly, the St. Cyprian Effect at work.
Size Rating: 7 out of 10
Ornamentation Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Overall Design Rating: 6.5 out of 10 crosses
