first four or five books of the New Testament. There was usually a good attendance, the children coming for miles.” Where We Worship From the meeting in the home of Jonathan Jaquess in the fall of 1815 to our present day, the Methodist congregations of this community have worshiped in four buildings. Two log churches located on a lot on West Main Street were used from 1818 to 1860 by the Methodist Congregation. The third, a frame building, was constructed in 1861 on the present site, Second and Cale Streets. When the present brick structure was built in 1903 the former building was moved to a lot north of the cemetery to be used by the Baptist Church. Of the church buildings, Mrs. Bozeman gave this descriptive writing: “The first church (log structure) built in 1818 by this society was in the West end of Main Street (on the lot now occupied by the Espenlaub Equipment Company). The land was given by one Talbott Sharp and in the deed was a clause that stipulated if the land given should ever be used for any other purpose than a church, it should revert to the Sharp heirs, which it did, the building of the second church (log structure) was erected in 1836. It was dedicated by Pres. Simpson who later became Bishop. “As time went on, the church grew old and not comfortable for winter. It was decided to build a new one. Thomas Jaquess gave the lot, the same on which the present building now stands. It was finished in the fall of 1904, and dedicated in November by the presiding elder Charles D. Battelle and Pastor W.E. Davis. Asbury Jaquess gave the Bible and hymn book, and Father Schrader and wife the Communion set. “Now we come to
the building of the present church. In 1904, the second church building was sold and the present church erected. The building contract was awarded to Bean & David of Princeton, for their bid of $7,193. The building was to be completed by August 15, 1904. It was dedicated December 11, 1904, by Rev. Levi Gilbert, D.D., Rev. J.W. Turner, D.D., Presiding Elder Rev. P.C. Lisman was the Pastor.”
1906
It is interesting to note that from 1904 to April of 1913 the lighting in the church was by gasoline. The generating unit was in the basement. In 1913, a group of hard
St. Paul’s UMC History
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