About First United Methodist Church of Las Vegas
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The First United Methodist Church in Las Vegas, New Mexico has its roots in the missionary outreach of the Reverend Thomas Harwood. Beginning in 1869 Reverend Harwood traveled throughout northeastern New Mexico from his mission station in Tiptonville and began meeting with the few Methodists in Las Vegas about 1872.
He encouraged them to first to affiliate with the Presbyterian Mission on Chavez Street but by 1879 there were sufficient numbers and he organized a congregation of 16 charter members in August of that year. The new congregation quickly moved to purchase four lots on what was known as “Zion Hill” and contracted for a church building which was ready for use in February of 1880.
The bell that served that first church has since been remounted two times and continues to call the congregation to worship yet today. By the early 1920’s the membership was nearing 300 and had outgrown the original frame structure. Local architect Charles Barrett designed the present sanctuary and the building was constructed by noted local builder and church member, M. M. Sundt. Completed in 1923, the church is noted for the 44 stained glass windows depicting the Life of Christ, executed by the Jacoby Art Glass Company of St. Louis, Missouri. The images for the three large windows were modeled on two works by Heinrich Hofmann, Christ in Gethsemane and Christ the Teacher, and one by Bernhard Plockhorst, The Resurrection Angel.
The Pipe Organ from the M. P. Moller Pipe Organ Company, Hagerstown, Pennsylvania was specially designed for this church. The Moller Company also designed pipe organs for the United States Military Academies beginning with West Point in 1911. In 1968, an education annex was completed and in 1977, the building was designated a State Cultural Property.
