The first church to form a congregation in the Punta Gorda region was the Trinity United Methodist in Charlotte Harbor. The church, originally located at what was then called Hickory Bluff (thought to have been near current day Melbourne St. ) was chartered in 1873 as a member of the Tampa Methodist Episcopal District. This was years before Isaac Trabue bought the land across the river that would become the town of Punta Gorda in 1887.
The current structure is the fourth church sanctuary. The church moved to its present location at Seneca and Parmely in 1889 on a lot provided by Mathieu and Mary Giddens A two-room school was also built next to it. This second church building was destroyed by a hurricane in 1910, and a third structure was severely damaged to yet another storm. The 1926 Miami hurricane, which flooded the streets of Punta Gorda, blew the church off its foundation.
While it was recovered at that time, in 1944, a strong wind caused the building to badly sway.
So finally a fourth building was erected of masonry construction, third on the current site, and dedicated on Nov. 9, 1950.
(Information from article by Frank Desguin, Charlotte Sun)
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