As long as the United Methodist Publishing House has had its headquarters in downtown Nashville, there’s been plenty of room to store dozens of rare books — some even older than the United States. But now the office is getting ready to downsize, so it’s time to assess what’s there and make some decisions.
The Methodist Publishing House dates back to the 1780s, and from the beginning, editor Brian Milford says the clergymen once known as “book stewards,” needed to have reference material on hand.
“Some editor in the past paid specific attention to, you know, the early theological books,” Milford says. The collection of roughly 80 rare texts includes a 1610 edition of St. Augustine’s “Of The City of God,” a book by Tertullian that dates back to 1521, and potentially first-edition King James Bible, marked as having been published in 1611.
Right now, Milford is working to catalog the books and get expert authentification that they really are as old as they seem.
Some will go on display in the lobby of the Publishing House’s new offices in MetroCenter; others may be sold or sent to Methodist archives or libraries.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM