It is hard to pass through the small town of Robeline, Louisiana without noticing the beautiful old church nestled right in the middle of town. The 138-year-old church has with stood the test of time and still stands proud welcoming tourists and travelers.
The town of Robeline was established back in 1881 when the railroad came through town. In 1883 various families and members of the community came together to build the Robeline Methodist Episcopal Church South. The cost of the build back then was around $2,500. The church was built in the Victorian Gothic Revival style, which was not a common architecture style used in Louisiana. The church is the only Victorian gothic style church in Natchitoches Parish and one of the few in the whole state. The original hand-crafted pews, pulpit furniture, and velvet covered altar rails can still be seen within the church. One of the most noticeable features are the double done reflector gasoliers.
In the 1920s, an addition was added to the back of the church. This consisted of a fellowship hall, bathroom, and pastoral study.
Services was discontinued in 1983 after membership dwindled to just a hand full of members.
In 1987 the Los Adaes Foundation purchased the church and just a few short months later was successful in getting the church added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Foundation has been in charge of the maintenance of the church ever since.
The church is used for the monthly meetings of the foundation and can be viewed by appointments.
The Los Adaes Foundation will be hosting an Open House for the public on Saturday October 2,2021 from 12 p.m. till 7 p.m. There will be a silent auction held from 12-6 pm to help raise money for the cost of repairs needed to be done to the church. There is also a go fund me account set up and the link can be found on our Facebook page.
During the COVID pandemic the foundation was not able to hold their monthly meetings, membership drives, or fundraising events.
If anyone would like more information or would like to join, please feel free to contact us by email losadaesfoundation@gmail.com or message us on our Facebook page “Robeline Old Methodist Church”. Membership dues are only $10 annually and renew in May of every year.