Plymouth Congregational Church is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its historic sanctuary, a Coconut Grove landmark.
As part of the celebration the church hosted a special Wedding Sunday service on Feb. 12 and invited couples who had been married there, whether recently or in decades past, members and non-members of the church, to attend. The turnout was wonderful for the event and pleased Senior Pastor Al Bunis.
“For over a century, we’ve married couples in this sacred, beautiful and inspirational space where we worship the Lord each Sunday,” Rev. Bunis said.
Plymouth Congregational Church is located at 3400 Devon Rd. in Coconut Grove. The limestone, mission-style sanctuary, built in 1917, was designed by New York architect Clinton Mackenzie and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The church’s original location was on McFarlane Road, where it was founded in 1897 as Union Congregational Church.
“While this year marks the 100th anniversary of our sanctuary, this year also marks the 120th anniversary of Plymouth Church,” Rev. Bunis said. “It’s the place where the people of Plymouth come together and worship so we can then go and live out our faith, whether it’s in fellowship with other people or in serving other people.”
Patterned after an old city mission church in Mexico, the original sanctuary was built by Felix Rebom, a Spaniard, and his assistant. Their only tools were a hatchet, a trowel, a plumb line and a T-square. The sanctuary was expanded in 1955.
Plymouth Church’s history is intertwined with that of Miami and especially early Coconut Grove. Its former pastors include Solomon Merrick, father of George Merrick. George Merrick, founder of the City of Coral Gables, served as chair of Plymouth’s Board of Trustees and was instrumental in purchasing the land the sanctuary now sits on.
The Plymouth campus is home to the first schoolhouse of Coconut Grove, also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and includes the former homes of two U.S. Navy admirals.
Rev. Bunis has served as Senior Pastor at Plymouth since November 2014. He and his wife, Lynn, came from Brooklyn, NY and love the area. The beautiful sanctuary and grounds have a special warmth and welcoming feeling.
“What we’ve found here is that the people of Plymouth, especially the people who have been here a long time, value the history of the church, and not just the beauty of it,” Rev. Bunis said. “But, the beauty of our campus warms people’s hearts and makes them feel like they’re in a special place with God, with Christ, on Sunday.”
Plymouth’s celebration of its sanctuary centennial will culminate on Sunday, Apr. 30, with a special service. For information call 305-444-6521.
