Epworth church predates Clear Space Theatre Company
Before moving out to Holland Glade Road in 2008, Epworth United Methodist Church was located on Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach, where it had been for nearly 100 years. Today, the former church building is part of Celebration Mall, which is home to Clear Space Theatre Company. At a recent Rehoboth Beach commissioners meeting, Clear Space officials approached the city about a public-private partnership to build a new theater on Christian Street. While it hasn’t been determined if that plan will come to fruition, it’s been known for some time Clear Space would like to move out of Celebration Mall.
Epworth’s history in Rehoboth Beach dates back to 1897, when its first church building was built about where Hotel Rehoboth now stands on Rehoboth Avenue. In 1914, Epworth was literally picked up and moved to 20 Baltimore Ave., where it remained for nearly a century. This undated image shows Epworth several decades ago. The brick structure still remains. The only difference today is that the large cross is gone. The yellow building to the left is no longer there.
Over the years, the old buildings were replaced with modern structures as the church grew. Eventually, Epworth’s growth forced it to move outside the city and into a 48,000-square-foot church on Holland Glade Road.
Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and building pages, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams.
