Cumberland Rebuilding

What began as a restorative endeavor evolved into a complete rebuild and resurrection of our sanctuary.

Our previous building — constructed with a brick exterior in 1911 to replace a wooden structure — provided a spiritual haven where young and old sought solace and came closer to the Lord. It was the only African-American church in downtown Florence.

Our original remodeling plan (see overlay plan at top of this page) in 2006 was to enhance, refurbish and upgrade what was there. Unfortunately, the years and other factors had slowly taken their toll and the sanctuary had to be replaced.

The ending was the beginning of a new life for Cumberland.

We successfully retained the original exterior look and made thoughtful modern-day improvements to the interior. The stained-glass windows and towering pipe organ were refurbished and reinstalled by expert craftspeople. Other original features, such as inlaid pine flooring and curved, L-shaped balcony, are also in this new church, allowing us to continue bringing God's message of love to humankind in an inviting, familiar setting. 

The church's rebuild -- completed in 2010 -- enhanced the city’s efforts to revitalize downtown Florence as a civic, cultural and commercial center. Our redesign was endorsed by the Florence Downtown Development Corporation as part of its ongoing efforts to re-energize the central city.