Mountain Brook in Jefferson County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
Canterbury United Methodist Church
Canterbury is the oldest existing establishment in Mountain Brook. It was organized in 1867 as Irondale Methodist when enough settlers to support the church moved into the area around the Irondale Furnace. The first time the North Alabama Conference met in the Birmingham District was in 1874 in the workshop of the furnace. At that time delegates decided to erect their first church on property donated by Pleasant Hickman Watkins on present-day Hollywood Blvd. west of Mountain Brook Village. The name changed to Union Hill Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1928, when Robert Jemison began developing Mountain Brook, the church was renovated and called the “prettiest country church in the United States,” then became Canterbury Methodist Episcopal Church.
This church is the result of the merger of two active churches, Canterbury and Mountain Book Methodist churches. The latter was organized in 1912 as Crestline Community Church, and within the year a sanctuary was erected on Church Street in Crestline Heights. In 1942, a renovation greatly improved the building and the name changed to Mountain Brook Methodist Church. That building is now Steeple Arts. In 1948, under the encouragement of the membership of both churches, a new church was formed. The site selected was formerly a cow pasture of Bearden Dairy. The first service in this new church was Oct. 12, 1952 with 900 members. Today the church has grown by many stages and membership is over 4,300.
Erected by Canterbury United Methodist Church and the Birmingham-Jefferson Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Churches & Religion. A significant historical year for this entry is 1867.
Location. 33° 29.366′ N, 86° 45.316′ W. Marker is in Mountain Brook, Alabama, in Jefferson County. Marker can be reached from Overbrook Road, on the left when traveling north. The marker is located on the church grounds and may be difficult to see from the road because of the distance and the trees. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Birmingham AL 35213, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Robert Jemison, Jr. (1878-1974) / The Old Mill (1927) (approx. 0.6 miles away); Mountain Brook (approx. 0.9 miles away); America's First Office Park (approx. 1.1 miles away); The Early Mountain Brook Village Area (approx. 1.1 miles away); Lane Park (approx. 1.3 miles away); Union Hill Cemetery, Union Hill Methodist Episcopal Church, Union Hill School (approx. 1.4 miles away); a different marker also named Union Hill Cemetery (approx. 1˝ miles away); First Tuberculosis Sanatorium (approx. 1˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mountain Brook.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 31, 2011, by David J Gaines of Pinson, Alabama. This page has been viewed 904 times since then and 30 times this year. Last updated on May 31, 2015, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 17, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. 3. submitted on December 31, 2011, by David J Gaines of Pinson, Alabama. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.