Friends of Zoar shares plans for extensive renovation of historic Zoar Methodist Episcopal Church in Odessa

The Zoar Methodist Episcopal Church in Odessa served its community from the time it was founded in 1845 until 2015. Now, thanks to community support and grant funding, a nonprofit formed in its honor hopes to restore the site’s historic connection as a cornerstone of Delaware’s Black community.

Thanks in part to a $250,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Preserving Black Churches program and efforts by the Friends of Zoar, Inc., a nonprofit working toward a nearly $1 million restoration plan for the historic site.

The grant will fund the replacement of the church’s roof, restoration of its brickwork and the reconstruction of the belfry, explained Friends of Zoar Treasurer Steven Johnson. Other funds are available to convert the small social hall into a handicap-accessible bathroom, a small office and a warming kitchen for caterers.

“I and the Friends of Zoar hope the restored church will serve as a community center and cultural center celebrating local Black history,” Johnson said. “While the site will no longer function as a church the way it once did, it will be a place for musical performances, community events and host the annual reunion for descendants of the Zoar congregation. The Preserving Black Churches grant makes this goal all the more possible.”

Since the 1990s, the structures at the historic site fell into disrepair and abandonment until ownership was transferred to a nonprofit group — The Friends of Zoar — in 2021. After acquiring the two buildings on the Zoar property plus a small lot across town where the original, wooden church stood, the group began fundraising and applying for grants, including the most recent one awarded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

In addition to the exterior work that will be done thanks to the Preserving Black Churches program funding, Johnson said the group has already worked with expert engineers and architects to assess the property for any structural work needs, to design renovations, and reconnect electrical service as well as restoration of the church’s original stained glass windows.

The Friends of Zoar also plans to utilize the Delaware Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program through the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs State Historic Preservation Office to offset some of the rehabilitation costs. Johnson said additional plans include connecting the two buildings on the church site and updating them with an entranceway, new public bathrooms and a kitchen that could be used for events.

Although the Zoar Methodist Episcopal Church was originally founded in 1845 by the Black community in Odessa, the extant building currently under rehabilitation was built in 1881 in the Gothic Revival style.

The Friends of Zoar was established by parishioners from various local churches and descendants of the Zoar Methodist Episcopal Church. 

In all, grants and contributions have so far raised $650,000 for restoration efforts.

To learn more about the history of Zoar Methodist Episcopal Church and plans for its renovation, visit the Friends of Zoar’s website at friendsofzoar.org.