Washington Methodist Episcopal Church
Last updated 10 March 2023
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Photographs taken in 2021 |
History of Washington M. E. Church
The source of this article is the Washington Evening Journal, dated Oct. 21, 1919, and transcribed by a Volunteer.
This history was prepared by C. H. Wilson, for over sixty years a member of the congregation, and read at the observance of the eightieth anniversary at the church yesterday evening.
The first sermon preached in or near Washington was in a log cabin on the farm one mile south west of Washington where Edwin Griffith now lives. In this cabin, the Reverend J. L. Kirkpatrick, a missionary from the Rock Island Conference, of Illinois, on the 20th day of October, 1839, preached and organized the society which came to be the first Methodist Episcopal Church. This was a comfortable settler's cabin, made of rude material, and the bark roof of which could be seen a grotesque collection of Indian picture carvings. The Charter members were Jesse Ashby and wife, and their daughters, Polly and Julia, Mr. and Mrs. Conner, W. L. Harvey and wife and Eli Patterson. Jesse Ashby was the leader, and the first superintendent of the Sunday school.
In 1840 the Methodists worshiped in the old log school house, which stood on Lot 7, block 4, of the original addition to the city of Washington, or on the lot just east of where J. W. Morton's residence now stands. During that year the Sunday school was organized with Jesse Ashby as superintendent, and Dr. Lee, Mrs. Temples, Julia and Polly Ashby as teachers.
In 1841 the Society again changed places of worship this time in the building located on the west lot of the south side of the public square, then used for the Court House, where Sherman Brothers Drugstore now stands. Services were held in this building for a period of two years.
In 1843 there stood on the lot, where Col. Cowles' residence stood a small brick school house and into this the Methodists moved and continued to meet until the first Court House was erected. This school house was the home of the Methodists for about four years.
Used Court House
In 1847 the first Court House was built in Central Park in the city of Washington and the Methodists secured the privilege of using this as a place of worship until they had completed the first house of worship.
That year the enterprise was begun of erecting the first Methodist Episcopal house of worship in Washington. The building was finished the following year, under the ministry of E. W. Twining, and dedicated by the presiding elder, H. W. Reed. It stood on the north end of lot 8, block 19, original plat of the city or immediately south of the Opera House.
In the winter of 1855-1856, the Methodists launched another building enterprise. This was a substantial two-story brick building, 40 by 60 feet, and stood on lots 1 and 2, block 6 original plat and faced the east. The lower story was occupied in the summer of 1856 and furnished a place of worship for the congregation and a home for the minister, G. W. Teas. The audience room in the second story, was finished the following year and was dedicated June 28th, 1857 by L. W. Berry, D. D. The cost of this building was $6,913.20, including the furniture.
In 1891, and on February 10th, the Methodists launched their third building enterprise. This time it was to be a modern pressed-brick structure trimmed with Bedford Stone. A finance committee was appointed which reported favorably in a few days, and the Official board decided to begin as soon as $15,000.00 was subscribed. W. R. Jeffrey, C. H. Wilson. A N. Alberson, B. F. Brown and Chas. H. Keck were the building committee The work was prosecuted with dispatch and on the 10th day of April, 1892, the building was dedicated free of debt by the Reverend J. C. W. Coxe, D. D. The Pipe Organ was the gift of the Epworth League. This building was erected under the pastorate of Reverend H. E. Wing.
Present Building Erected
On May 9th, 1911, under the pastorate of Reverend U. S. Smith, the enterprise of building the present church was launched. The building committee was composed of J. T. Anderson, chairman, Chas. H. Keck, secretary, F. L. Wilson, S. W. Neal and E. G. Gardner. The church was dedicated on April 26th, 1914 by Bishop W. O. Shephard, D. D.
This building is complete is every respect. The auditorium is equal to the best in the state and for arrangement and architectural beauty is unexcelled. The choir will accommodate seventy people, and with the great pipe organ, a gift by Mrs. Elizabeth Davidson Snider, in memory of her late husband, W. H. Snider, makes a most excellent appearance back of the pulpit platform.
We are largely indebted to the women of the church, especially the Ladies Aid Society for their noble work and sacrifices during the erection and completion of the church.
Children of Charter Members
The following are the survivors of the Charter members of the church: Jesse E. Harvey, son of W. L. Harvey, who will be 80 years old in February and Mrs. Ann Augustine, living in the west part of the county. Mrs. L. L. Lemley living on West Monroe street and her son Ray are the daughter and grandson of Jesse E. Harvey, both being members of the church. J. A. Y. Ashby is the only son living of Jesse Ashby. Mrs. Julia Cavander, Dr. M. E. Dicken, Mrs. Priscilla Junkin, Mrs. Cora Martin, Mrs. Viola Gardner and Mrs. Jesse Brindley are the grandchildren of Jesse and Elizabeth Ashby. The great grandchildren are Ralph M. Junkin, A. Benton Dicken, Mrs. Mary McClure, Mrs. C. E. Plumly, Mrs. Alan Beck and Margaret Dicken, all of the above except three being members of the local church.
The Iowa Annual Conference has been held in Washington as follows: 1862, Bishop Baker presiding; 1878, Bishop Bowman presiding; 1886, Bishop Bowman presiding; 1892 Bishop Andrews presiding; 1917, Bishop Cooke presiding.
List of the Pastors
The following is the list of the preachers in charge from the organization of the church to the present time:
J. L. Kirkpatrick, 1839-1840
John Hayden, 1841-1842
N. Reeder, 1843-1844
D. B. Nicholas, (E. T. Twining, Ass't) 1845
T Case, (David Crawford, Ass't) 1846-1847
E. W. Twining, 1848-1849
G. W. Jamison, 1850-1851
William Butt, 1852
J. B. Hardy, 1853-1854
G. W. Teas, 1855-1856
W. Dennett, 1857-1858
John Harris, 1859
J. H. Lucas, 1860
Banner Mark, 1861
H. W. Thomas, 1862-1863
Geo. N. Power, 1864
M. Miller, 1865-1866
F. W. Evans, 1867
William Reinick, 1868
A. P. Morrison, 1869-1870
C. S. Jennis, 1871
N. Wells, 1872
W. J. Spaulding, 1873
J. W. Chaffin 1874-1876
J. C. W. Coxe 1877-1878
J. W. McDonald, 1879-1880
C. L. Stafford, 1881-1883
I. O. Kemble, 1884-1886
W. R. Stryker, 1887-1889
H. E. Wing, 1890-1891
J. A. Boatman, 1892-1893
W. G. Thorne, 1894-1898
I. B. Schreckengast, 1899-1904
Elias Handy, 1905-1906
U. S. Smith, 1907-1914
J. A. Glendinning, 1917-1919
In the early days of Methodism the itinerant system was instituted one year being the limit, afterwards changed to two years, then to three, then to five and now unlimited.
The membership has steadily increased to the present time. In 1846 it was 30; in 1850 it was 50; in 1857 it was 110; in 1892 it was 430 and at the present time numbers 1259.