The Vailsburg Methodist Church was organized in the Borough of Vailsburg on May 10,1901. In 1905, Vailsburg became part of the City of Newark. The first church was a wood framed building located on the corner of South Orange Avenue and Richelieu Terrace. The church occupied a large plot of land and was set back from South Orange Avenue by an extensive lawn. The post card shown in this blog captures the moment when Vailsburg was rapidly leaving its rural/early suburb roots and becoming more urban. South Orange Avenue was also evolving into a commercial strip. The Methodists only occupied the frame church from 1901 to 1912 when a new brick sanctuary was dedicated on the corner of Richelieu Terrace and Fortuna Street a few blocks in from South Orange Avenue. By 1920, the former site of the church had a two story brick building on it with stores on the first floor and apartments on the second. On the opposite corner, another commercial/residential brick building was built which later housed Paul’s Tavern a landmark to many from the Vailsburg section. If one looks closely at the postcard in the right side distance is a grand residence with a turret. That building stands today, and while hardly recognizable is currently used as a church.