1812. Historic Sites, Historic Shrines, and Historic Landmarks--1. a) Historic Sites--Historic Sites are buildings, locations, or structures which are specifically related to a significant event, development, or personality in the history of an annual, central, or jurisdictional conference (or its antecedents). Historic Sites are designated by formal action of the annual, central, or jurisdictional conference within whose regions the site is located. Such designation shall first be considered and reviewed by the respective Commission on Archives and History (or equivalent). After action by the annual, central, or jurisdictional conference to designate a building, structure, or location as an historic site, the president or chairperson of the commission on archives and history (or equivalent) shall advise the General Commission on Archives and History of the action taken and provide such documentation as may be required. The general commission in turn shall provide an official historic site marker, keep a register of all historic sites, and maintain an ongoing file of pertinent information concerning them.
b) Historic Shrines and Historic Landmarks--Historic shrines and historic landmarks of The United Methodist Church are buildings, locations, or structures which are specifically related to significant events, developments, or personalities in the overall history of The United Methodist Church or its antecedents. They must have distinctive historic interest and value for the denomination as a whole, as contrasted with local or regional historic significance. Ordinarily, buildings, locations, or structures that have achieved historic significance within the preceding fifty years shall not be considered for designation as a historic shrine or historic landmark.
A historic shrine of The United Methodist Church is a building or structure (or group thereof) directly related to a significant event, development, or outstanding personality in the overall history of The United Methodist Church or its antecedents. Such relationship preferably dates from the actual time of the event, development, or personality involved. In special circumstances, a building or structure that is primarily commemorative in nature may be designated a historic shrine.
A historic landmark is a site or location which has little remaining in the way of a building or structure, but which otherwise qualifies as a historic shrine.
c) Designation of Historic Shrines and Historic Landmarks--All nominations for the designation of buildings, locations, and structures as United Methodist historic shrines or historic landmarks shall be made by the annual, central, or jurisdictional conference commission on archives and history (or equivalent) within whose regions they are located. Such nominations shall be referred for consideration to the General Commission on Archives and History, in accord with guidelines established by the commission. Through its Committee on Historic Shrines and Historic Landmarks the commission shall consider the merits of each nomination and shall make such recommendation as it deems appropriate to the ensuing General Conference for its action and determination.
The commission shall recommend only a building, location, or structure for designation as a historic shrine or historic landmark which has been registered as a historic site by an annual, central, or jurisdictional conference and has met the requirements established by the commission. The commission shall keep a register of all duly designated historic shrines and historic landmarks and maintain an ongoing file of pertinent information concerning them.
d) Quadrennial Review--The commission shall be responsible for making a quadrennial review of the existing duly designated historic shrines and historic landmarks, according to the criteria which it shall prepare and which shall be compatible with The Discipline of The United Methodist Church. The commission shall further be responsible for recommending to the General Conference the redesignation or reclassification of the designated historic shrines and historic landmarks as such action may be appropriate in keeping with such criteria.
2. Present Historic Shrines--The present historic shrines of The United Methodist Church (and the year of their designation by General Conference) are: Acuff's Chapel, between Blountsville and Kingsport, TN (1968); Albright Memorial Chapel, Kleinfeltersville, PA (1968); Barratt's Chapel, near Frederica, DE (1968); Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach, FL (1984); Bishop John Seybert/Flat Rock Cluster, Flat Rock and Bellevue, OH (1992); Boehm's Chapel, Willow Street, PA (1984); Cox Memorial United Methodist Church, Hallowell, ME (1992); Deadwood Cluster, Deadwood, SD (1984); Edward Cox House near Bluff City, TN (1968); Green Hill House, Louisburg, NC (1968); Hanby House, Westerville, OH (1988); John Street Church, New York City (1968); Old McKendree Chapel, Jackson, MO (1968); Old Otterbein Church, Baltimore, MD (1968); Old Stone Church Cemetery and Site, Leesburg, VA (1968); Peter Cartwright United Methodist Church, Pleasant Plains, IL (1976); Rehobeth Church, near Union, WV (1968); Robert Strawbridge's Log House, near New Windsor, MD (1968); St. George's Church, Philadelphia, PA (1968); St. Simon's Island, Brunswick, GA (1968); Town of Oxford, GA (1972); Wesleyan College Cluster, Macon, GA (1992); Whitaker's Chapel, near Enfield, Halifax County, NC (1972); Wyandot Indian Mission, Upper Sandusky, OH (1968); and Zoar United Methodist Church, Philadelphia, PA (1984).
3. Present Historic Landmarks--The present historic landmarks of The United Methodist Church (and the year of their designation by General Conference) are: the sites of Asbury Manual Labor School and Mission, Ft. Mitchell, AL (1984); Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, NY (1972); Cokesbury College, Abingdon, MD (1984); First Evangelical Association Church Building and Publishing House, New Berlin, PA (1988); John Wesley's American Parish, Savannah, GA (1976); Keywood Marker, Glade Spring, VA (1988); Lovely Lane Chapel, Baltimore, MD (1972); McMahan's Chapel, Bronson, TX (1972); Organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Louisville, KY (1984); Rutersville Cluster, Rutersville, TX (1988); and Willamette Mission, near Salem, OR (1992).
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 1812
1996 United Methodist General Conference