New Goshen UMC was erected in 1970. It is located at the corner of Randleman Road and Shoffner Court, just down the road from the Wal-Mart on Elmsley Street. The church is located on the site of the original home of the Greensboro Red Wings, a community Negro baseball team that was organized in the 1930s. Goshen School was also located on this site. The school was built in 1930, and closed in 1950 when Rena Bullock School opened and replaced it.
Thomas E. Alston, who played for the Redwings, became the first Black man to play with the St. Louis Cardinals. Mr. Alston is buried in the cemetery on this site. If you explore the cemetery, you will find the name of many prominent Greensboro African American families (Alston, Herbin, Shoffner, and Alexander to name a few). Goshen Church is large and sprawling, as you can see from the above photo. Between the ball team, the ball field, and the school, all predating the church, we're betting there is quite a lot of history on this property. While there is an active Facebook page, where you can listen to sermons, we couldn't find a page linking to the history of the ball field or the school. If you have information we would love to share it. If you drive by, there is a very nice historic marker on site, 3300 Randleman Road.
Have a happy Sunday, on this last day of July!
A distinctive church.
Posted by: William Kendall | Sunday, July 31, 2022 at 08:45 PM