The gray limestone walls of a 19th-century church and steeple at the corner of a busy park in downtown San Antonio are barely visible behind a system of recently installed scaffolding and screens.
The work to restore and renovate the historic Travis Park United Methodist Church (UMC) — a $12 million, multi-phase project triggered by extensive storm damage five years ago — began in early August.
Now with painting in the sanctuary underway, and workers remodeling restrooms and other parts of the complex, church services have been temporarily relocated and the stalwart of an institution has turned into an active construction zone.
But church leaders emphasize the doors are still open.
For years, the church adjacent Travis Park has been feeding and caring for the unhoused, hungry and marginalized in the community, and that won’t stop during the extensive remodel, says Lead Pastor Rev. Cynthia Engstrom.
“That’s part of who we are. That’s part of the ministry, and that’s going to continue,” Engstrom said. “But if we did not do this now, the life of the facility is limited.”
The first congregation of what became Travis Park UMC met in 1846, and its first chapel was built in 1853.
In 1882, the church acquired property at its current site, on the corner of Navarro and Travis streets, for a new church building.
The Romanesque Revival style church built in 1886 was the first Protestant church in San Antonio and still serves in many ways as the historic and symbolic home for the Methodist Church in South Texas.
The original church building has been expanded over the years with the Youth Building added in 1910, and later an adjacent office building and warehouse. A narrow building was constructed as a hallway to connect the structures.
Seriously damaged by fire in 1955, the sanctuary was reconstructed in 1958. But that was the last major overhaul of the facility, said David Stone, a parishioner since 1987 and church trustee chairman.
Stone is overseeing the project with parishioner Brock Curry, building committee chairman, who is working closely with Turner Construction as the contractor and superintendent John Miller.
The San Antonio firm of Ford Powell & Carson is the architect.
Expected wear and tear on the buildings also comes from the church’s ministries focused on helping others. Thousands of people rely on the meals and other services provided by the church and its nonprofit partner, Corazón Ministries.
In 2020 and 2021, the church offered temporary shelter to 55,000 migrants coming into the U.S. via the asylum process. Engstrom said that kind of open-door policy is in the “church’s DNA.”
But when the roof of the Youth Building collapsed overnight during a violent storm five years ago, a $6 million insurance claim payout propelled the congregation toward a full renovation.
The first phase of the project will address deferred maintenance throughout the facility. The sanctuary will be restored and the mechanical, audiovisual and heating and air conditioning systems upgraded. All bathrooms and the basement will also be renovated.
For now, worship services are being held Sundays at 9:45 a.m. at the Hotel Valencia, 150 E. Houston St. The remodel is expected to be complete in time for Christmas Eve services on Dec. 24.
Standing in the dark sanctuary on a recent morning, a web of scaffolding blocking the pews and the church’s handsome light fixtures stored on the chancel, Engstrom reflected on the restoration project.
“I’m always in awe of this place and I’ve always felt like there’s a fullness of the atmosphere here,” she said. “I have a very strong sense of the generations of people who have gathered here. This place has marked the moments of life. I’m excited that we’re restoring it and taking care of it and making it good.”
What’s most visible to passersby these days is the work to clean and restore the limestone facade. Soon, the roof will be replaced and the walls and windows weatherproofed.
The Cavallini Company will restore the stained-glass windows.
“This is not just a cosmetic renovation,” Engstrom said. “This is to sustain this facility into the future, so that the ministry that this congregation does and will continue to do will carry forward.”
A second phase is planned for a full remodel of the Youth Building, the structure with a cross-shaped stained-glass window facing Navarro Street.
This week, the church launched a capital campaign to raise funds for the project.
On top of the remaining $4.7 million in insurance funding and $1.5 million in historic tax credits, an additional $800,000 is needed for the first phase of the project, and $5 million for the second phase.
In addition to that effort, the church is working through how it will continue its mission to serve while construction is ongoing, including renovation of the kitchen where 100,000 meals are prepped every year.
“We’ve had situations in the past where we just had to muscle through some tough spots and get creative, and I think everybody just assumes we’ll do the same thing this time,” Engstrom said.
The pastor also hopes the renovation will allow the historic church to host more events and conferences and “to be a great neighbor in the downtown area,” she said.
A dominant Christian denomination in the United States, the Methodist Church has in recent years experienced a major split. Since 2019, more than 7,000 congregations have left the church over disagreements in theology and how the Church considers LGBTQ+ ministers and congregants.
Even while under construction, Travis Park wants to welcome everyone, Engstrom said, especially those who have been left without a place to go.
“This is your home. There’s so much more than the brick and mortar here,” she said. “I think it matters [in these times] that there be places where doors are just open to all people, and the message is always ‘yes, everybody’ and all means all.”
