The history of our Churches in Letchworth

 

Central Methodist Church

The spirit of the early Garden City encouraged freedom of thought and freedom of religion, and the non-conformist denominations were early arrivals in the new settlement.  At the time there were in fact two Methodist denominations – the Wesleyans and the Primitives – and both had missions in the new Garden City.  The Wesleyans under Revd. William Metcalfe met first at the Pixmore Institute, now Hillshott Infants School, then at their own Wesleyan Mission in Ridge Road.  Meanwhile the Primitives, whose leader was Revd. David Mann, gathered at The Skittles Inn, now The Settlement, before moving to more spacious rooms at The Sheds at the other end of Nevells Road.

With rapid growth, both congregations soon planned permanent church buildings, and two churches opened within one week of each other. The Primitive Church in Broadway, on the site of the present passage to Morrisons, was first on Wednesday 26 August 1914, closely followed by the Wesleyan church on the junction of Pixmore Way and Norton Way South on 3 September.



In 1932 the Methodist Churches in Britain agreed to unite and eventually in Letchworth it was decided to merge the Primitive and Wesleyan churches onto one site at the crossing point of Pixmore Way and Norton Way South.  This was achieved in 1937, with the organ console from Broadway being installed at what became, and still is, Central Methodist Church.



Additions since then have been a memorial window on the south side (1950), rear extension to the hall and stage (1956) and the installation of Central’s unusual but popular cinema style seats from a redundant cinema in the late 1960s.



In 2014 there were a number of centenary events, of which a permanent reminder is a fine stained glass window installed on the North side of the Sanctuary.  Recent years have seen a number of technological changes, with projection facilities installed and the Covid pandemic prompting an adoption of remote worship via Zoom.

Norton Methodist Church
The early years of Norton Methodist church were largely influenced by the internationally renowned evangelist Rodney “Gipsy” Smith (1860-1947).  His mother had died of smallpox in 1865 when the family caravan stopped midway between Baldock and Norton, and she was buried in unconsecrated ground near Norton St. Nicholas parish church.

The early Garden City pioneers established a mission hall in Cashio Lane, Norton and Gipsy Smith, who had by then converted to Christianity and was developing a reputation as an itinerant preacher, led a mission there in the 1900s. A larger building was opened on the present site in North Avenue in 1914, extended in 1924 and then in 1934 Smith returned to preach in the new extension which forms the present church.  Much of the £4181 cost was raised by Smith on a mission to the USA where he was immensely popular. Around the arch above the pulpit is a dedication to the parents of Gipsy Smith, who are now both buried within the churchyard at St. Nicholas and the grave is marked by a handsome tombstone provided by Gipsy Smith.

In 2023, Norton church hosted the Knitted Bible Exhibition, a travelling show with scenes from the bible recreated with knitted figures.  These range from the creation to the apostles.