sacred spaces #2
One of the repurposed churches I have encountered is the church where my great-grandmother and great-grandfather were married on July 24 in 1886 in Laramie, Wyoming. The church was the First Methodist Episcopal Church on Second Street in Laramie.
The church building, constructed in 1860, still stands at 152 North Second Street, but when my great-grandparents were married there, it stood at a location across the street from its present location. When it was abandoned as a church, it was rolled across the street on logs, where today it is the oldest church building in Laramie.
When we visited Laramie in 2002, we did not find the church immediately because it did not look like a church. When it was rolled across the street, the back of the church faced the street…
A look at the rear of the building shows what the face of the church would have looked like in its previous location…
The church has been repurposed and today is used by a distance-training business. Inside the church, I could see the windows overlooking the spot where once my great-grandparents stood to say their vows…
Have you gone on a journey to discover the people in your family history? Have you stood where their feet once stood?
nichepoetryandprose 
Oh my, I’ve been researching my family history since I was a child! My maternal great-great-grandparents were married in a Methodist Episcopal church, too, not far from where I live now. It’s a house now. I enjoyed reading about your experience.
I have to say, the most moving experience was when I went to Ellis Island and retraced my paternal grandmother’s first steps in this country. I had to sit down and get a grip on myself. You’ve given me a great idea for a blog post!
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Barbara Rodgers
September 16, 2011 at 4:47 pm
Hi Barbara. Researching my family history is absolutely compelling. You could say we drove all across Canada and the United States just to see the church in Laramie. I have to work on the family history slowly or it will take over my life. Perhaps someday my search will take me to Ellis Island too. At least one of my ancestors arrived in Canada by shipwreck! Have fun with your post! Jane
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jane tims
September 16, 2011 at 8:35 pm