Nathaniel United Methodist Mission
Nathaniel United Methodist Mission has been the center of Davis Bottom since its establishment in a small chapel on DeRoode Street in the late 1920s. Nathaniel has provided spiritual, medical, educational and social services to families and individuals for eight decades (and counting). In many ways, Nathaniel embodies the strong, compassionate and tight-knit character of the Davis Bottom neighborhood, which has quietly served as a model for community cooperation and racial tolerance.
Construction of the Newtown Pike Extension Project will eventually force Nathaniel Mission to move to temporary quarters. But, the mission will continue to provide services to the community, and will return to Davis Bottom once the construction project has been completed. Nathaniel United Methodist Mission, under the guidance of Pastor David MacFarland, has been instrumental in the effort to document family photographs and oral histories as part of The Davis Bottom History Preservation Project.