Central Avenue United Methodist Church (Indianapolis, Marion County, Ind.) records

Central Avenue Methodist Church was established in 1877 out of a merger of North Street / Trinity and Massachusetts Avenue Methodist Episcopal Churches in Indianapolis. The building that had housed the Massachusetts Avenue congregation, affectionately known as Pine Knots due to its rugged construction, was literally rolled on logs from to its new location at Central Avenue and 12th Street. This location was in the northernmost “suburbs” of Indianapolis, which would become known as The Old Northside. Reuben Andrus preached the first sermon in the church on June 17, 1877. The Romanesque Revival styled structure was built of red brick trimmed with Indiana limestone. During the pastorate of Orien W. Fifer (1917-1927) Central Avenue church was noted for its involvement with the Social Gospel Movement and was directly involved with improving conditions within the community. Central Avenue Methodist Church also was instrumental in founding the Wheeler Rescue Mission for the poor. In 2006 Central Avenue merged with another historic downtown church, Lockerbie UMC to become Lockerbie Central UMC.