Many times the most impressive structures in a city are its churches. Their outlines grace the city’s skyline
and their steeples stretch up to meet the clouds.
First United Methodist Church has been part of the fabric of the community that bears his name since the Reverend Harris G. Joplin, a Methodist circuit rider, made his way to the edge of the frontier back in the 1830’s and planted a congregation among the folks who had settled here. As the community grew so did we. In 1905 we opened the doors to a new house of worship at the corner of 4th and Byers Avenue, and those doors are still open today.
Architects Charles Garstang and Alfred Rea designed the majestic entrance that features a triple arched portico entry with a large stained glass window above. Romanesque pillars with Corinthian-style capitals support the load of Gothic arches and two bell towers flank the grand entry. The steeple on the southwest rose 100 feet tall in the air before lighting struck in 1963. The cornerstone for the church was laid in 1905 and the first service was held in the congregations new home on June 3, 1906.
Abraham Onstott House