Gary Memorial United Methodist Church

08/15/2026

To celebrate the glorious history of our church and the many people whose lives it touched over the years we hope people from near and far will gather with us on Sunday, SEPTEMBER 20, 2026 at 11:30 am for a special HOMECOMING/CLOSING service. All are welcome! To help us prepare please RSVP in the comments here if you plan to join us.

First established in 1879 Gary Memorial has ministered to the communities of Alberton/Daniels for 147 years. Even after residents were forced to move from the mill town in 1967 and the C.R. Daniels factory relocated following Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972, faithful members of the church continued to worship here. The beautiful historic granite church on the hill in the Patapsco River Valley is the last remaining intact structure of the historic mill town.

We will close our doors on October 1 and turn the church and its property over to the Conference of the United Methodist Church. Its fate is unknown.

Please share this with others you may know who may be interested.

06/15/2026

On Sunday, June 14th members of Gary Memorial United Methodist Church gathered following worship service to vote on the future of our historic church. For years, our small congregation, many of whom are seniors, have grappled with the challenge of dwindling attendance and the financial constraints it presents. We have considered our options and given the ongoing costs of building upkeep and the failure to attract new members, a vote was taken and with heavy hearts we decided that it was no longer feasible for the church to operate. The Gary Memorial United Methodist Church will close on October 1, 2026. The last church service in our historic granite church atop Standfast Hill in the bygone mill town of Daniels is still to be determined. Until then, as always, ALL are welcome.

Ecclesiastes 3:1
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

05/29/2026

04/19/2026

The stage is all set for the Howard County Historical Society Historic Church Concert at Gary Memorial on Monday evening April 20th! Come at 6pm to browse the displays and learn the story of our historic church and the long-gone mill town of Daniels (Alberton). Then beginning at 7pm we will welcome Redd & the Paper Flowers from Knoxville, Tennessee for a live performance of their original Americana | Folk music. It promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience for lovers of local history, good music, and the beautiful Patapsco Valley Heritage Area. Lite refreshments are included in the ticket price.
Get your ticket here:
https://ticketscandy.com/e/historic-church-concert-14735
Tickets will also be available at the door.

04/09/2026

https://youtu.be/N6DmznKJRoI?si=n4FB1W6QLNUze2Se

Here's a sneak peak of the sounds of Redd and the Paper Flowers who will be performing in our historic church on Monday, April 20th at 7pm. The concert is a fundraiser presented by Howard County Historical Society to create an archive to preserve the church's history for future generations. Come early at 6pm for refreshments and to learn about the church's history and that of the bygone town of Daniels, Maryland. Tickets are available here: https://ticketscandy.com/e/historic-church-concert-14735

We are so lucky to even have the opportunity to submit a video to NPR's Tiny Desk Contest ♥️ We're Redd & The Paper Flowers, not to be confused with Redd & T...