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The congregation grew steadily, and by 1887 it was large enough to support its own circuit. A parsonage was built near the church, and the Gaithersburg preacher was also responsible for serving small churches in Darnestown, Germantown, Boyds, and Travilah. By 1903, the Forest Oak congregation had grown to more than 250 members, and the building had become too small to accommodate them all. Plans were made to study ways and means of expansion. In 1904, the congregation acquired land for a new building from two church members, Carson Ward and John Wesley Walker. The site, our present location, was on Frederick road, at the corner of the lane leading to the Mr. Walker’s farm (now Walker Avenue). The lot was nearly adjacent to the site Epworth Methodist Episcopal Church had occupied on Brookes Avenue since 1891. A committee visited churches throughout the area looking for a suitable design for the new church. The design chosen most closely resembled the Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, South, in Middletown, Virginia, which happened to be the hometown of David Harris, Forest Oak’s previous pastor.
Building plans were drawn by Baltimore architects Frank and Henry Davis. The contract for construction of the new sanctuary was signed by the end of November 1904, and the work began early in 1905. Workers were recruited from as far away as Pennsylvania. As the work progressed, a cornerstone laying ceremony was planned for May 20th. Thomas Lambert, the preacher in charge, was a personal friend of the Maryland’s Governor Edwin Warfield and invited him to participate. On the day of the event, all Gaithersburg businesses closed at 3:00 so everyone could attend. The Pentalpha Masonic Lodge laid the stone, and about 2,000 people were in attendance. The size of the crowd was especially impressive, considering that the most recent census (1900) counted Gaithersburg’s entire population at only 547. The building of the new sanctuary proceeded very rapidly, and dedicatory services were held December 10, 1905. According to the Montgomery Sentinel, the total cost of the church and grounds was $17,000. The paper reported that the church membership included some of the most prominent and wealthy citizens of Montgomery County. he photograph of Walker Avenue looking east was taken from the bell tower ca. 1912. Grace Church purchased the house in the foreground (3 Walker Avenue) in 1959.
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About Grace 
