Methodist Church

A History of

First United Methodist Church

Of Williamstown

            A Methodist Episcopal Society was formed soon after the founding of the community in 1787.  A Methodist Sunday School was organized in 1831.  One of the first Methodist Circuit riders was the Rev. Robert Manning, an appointee of Bishop Francis Asbury.  He was from the Baltimore Conference and is said to have been the first ordained Methodist minister of the Northwest.  He preached in Williamstown and Marietta and was authorized by the court in 1798 to perform marriages.

            Worship services, in the beginning, were held in the homes, the best known being that of Mary Riggs ("Granny") Ogdin.  About 1812 Mr. Isaac Williams erected a large log house on Pike Street (Highland Avenue) in which he and his wife Rebecca lived for a few years.  Later he made it into a public building; the first floor was used for a school and the second floor as a place of worship and all denominations were welcome.  This house was used for worship for many hears but was located so far from where the people lived that in 1842 a small church building was erected on the south side of Back Street (Railroad Street) midway between Ferry (Dodge Avenue) and Main Streets.

By 1868 a new larger church building seemed a necessity.  The new church was built one half block away on the south side of Green Street (Railroad Street).  A parsonage was built on the same lot.  Rev. Pardon cook and Presiding Elder Monroe preached at intervals.

            Rev. Rufus Kinnard, a local preacher, after donating the land for the church, worked tirelessly and gave liberally in order that this new Methodist Episcopal Church might be completed and free of debt.  He died March 24, 1871 after seeing all the work completed.  It was a beautiful church, 46 feet long and 41 feet wide with a seating capacity of 250 persons.  Rev. Frank DeHass of Cincinnati, Ohio, dedicated this church during the second week of July 1869.  The building probably cost about $2000.  Rev. S. D. Jones was the pastor of the Williamstown circuit at this time.

            In 1872 the Williamstown Methodist Episcopal Church was called a station having its own minister.  Later, it lost this status and shared a circuit with Waverly, Mt. Pleasant and Maple Glen.  In 1876 Brisco Run was added to the circuit.  It is said that only single ministers were assigned to the Circuit because of the time and work involved.  Eight of the ministers married while serving the area, four marrying Williamstown girls.  In 1910, Williamstown again became a station.

            In 1884 the great Ohio River flood badly damaged the floor, the organ, and Sunday School library of the new church.  In a few months necessary repairs were made and in 1893 a spire and a bell were added to the building.  A basement was made but due to frequent high water it was rendered useless.

            In 1909 a parsonage was built at 421 Columbia Avenue.  This served as home for the ministers of the church until 1974 when a larger modern parsonage was built at 409 Park Avenue.  Bishop Frederick Wertz dedicated this new parsonage in November 1974. 

            In 1912, because of frequent floods and residents moving to higher ground, a new, much larger and more beautiful church building was erected at the corner of Fifth and Louisa Streets (Williams Avenue) on land donated by Mr. Will Plumley and built at a cost of $25,000.  Rev. Thomas Ilif, D.D. of Denver, Colorado, dedicated it August 4, 1912.

            According to the Pittsburgh Christian Advocate, (a church magazine at that time) dated March 22, 1912, Williamstown was one of the oldest charges in West Virginia.  The building committee was composed of Frank L. Fenton, J. J. Lorentz, B. L. Bullman, William Plumley, G. A. Hoover and the pastor, Rev. W. E. Craig.  The cornerstone was laid on Thanksgiving Day, November 1911.

            "The new church is constructed of Cleveland sandstone and topped with buff-pressed brick.  The walls are eighteen inches thick.  The auditorium is a perfect octagon shape with an octagon dome from which is suspended a handsome electric chandelier of the same shape.  There are two large windows in the sanctuary of beautiful stained glass and are called 'Christ the Good Shepherd' and 'Christ in the Garden'.  Hard wood is used throughout the building.

            Dedication of the church began July 28 with a Sunday School attendance of 281 persons.  Special events were held each night through August 4, 1912.

In 1939 the church joined in the merger of the Southern and Northern branches of the Methodist Episcopal Church and in 1968 it became a United Methodist Church when the denomination merged wit the Evangelical United Brethren Church.

            A thirty-year celebration was held on Aug. 9, 1942 and a forty-year celebration held August 34, 1952.  A fifty-year celebration was held August 1962 at which time seventeen persons attended who had also attended the 1912 dedication.

             A Maller pipe organ was installed in the church in 1924 and the sanctuary redecorated.  The organ has been repaired several times and the church redecorated in 1940, 1961, and again in 1987.

            In 1954-1955, the kitchen was remodeled installing new cupboards, stove, and steam table.  In 1958-1961 the education section was remodeled providing new and more classrooms, additional office space, a chapel, a lounge, a Scout room, the dining area, and new fireproof stairwells.  This new section was consecrated March 19, 1961.

            The Nelson property, west of the church was bought in 1958 to provide more classrooms and a space for collecting, storing, and selling rummage, a project of the United Methodist Women.  Some of the land was made into a parking lot.  In 1967 the church bought the Gettings property on the north side for future expansion.  In June 1986, Julia Rosenthal gave the church a vacant piece of property located at 421 Williams Avenue.

            The Methodist Youth Fellowship began a small library on the third floor in 1963. It did not grow, so Miss Mildred Carlisle took charge, became the librarian in 1974, and served for many years.  The library grew and was moved to larger and more convenient quarters in the basement.  In 1981 the library was named Carlisle Church Library in Mildred's honor.

            The church building has had many repairs and changes.  The parlor was carpeted and furnished in 1975.  In the spring of 1981 a heavy plastic protective covering was added to the outside of the stained glass windows.  In December 1981 and again in August 1984 the large stained glass windows were vandalized in 1982, a ramp was build on the west side entrance and a chair lift was installed to accommodate our handicapped that they night join us in worship.  A speaker system was also installed in the sanctuary that same year.  In 1986, the basement was remodeled and new curtains and carpet were added.  Ornamental shrubbery was planted around the building in 1985.  The sanctuary and chapel area was air-conditioned in 1986.

Planning for renovations began again in the early 1990's and was consecrated on September 28, 2007.  The $1.2 million dollar renovation included enlarging the Sanctuary.  A new office complex was put into place.  Space was added for new classrooms.  A beautiful new modern kitchen was built.  Bathroom facilities more that doubled.  A Youth Room was added and the MPR that seats nearly 300 people was built. 

Construction turning the old Fellowship Hall into the current Nursery began in September 1997.  In the fall of 1998, the elevator was added.

            The Stained glass windows on the west side of the church had to be removed for construction purposes in 1996.  Carnick Hamperian saved much of our church history by using the original panels from these windows to construct the beautiful windows in our Chapel in late 1997 thru early 1998.

On January 6, of 2001 a new Reuter Pipe Organ was dedicated.  Renovation of the chancel area, new carpet in the Sanctuary, and Paint was also completed during this time.

September 2007

Ministerial Appointments

            Hammond, D.S.                                       1879-1881

            Moore, O.J.                                              1881-1882

            Ward, R. B.                                                1882-1883

            King, W. W.                                               1883-1884

            Clarke, C. E.                                             1884-1885

            Clarke, J. L.                                              1885-1887

            Harkmen, W. J.                                        1887-1889

            Anderson, W.                                           1889-1890

            Bleakley, Gregory                                  1890-1891

            Hammond, D. S.                                      1891-1893

            Hunter, William                                        1893-1895

            Mays, P.C.                                                1895-1896

            Kepler, G. W.                                           1896-1898

            Upton, C.W.                                             1898-1899

            Boggett, G.S.                                           1899-1901

            Ruble, D. W.                                             1901-1902

            Farr, C.G.                                                  1902-1902

            Barze, W.L.                                                1902-1904

            Meredith, C.B.                                         1904-1906

            Shadduck, B.H.                                        1906-1908

            Leatherly, C.E.                                         1908-1909

            Eastlack, M.R.                                          1909-1910

            Fisher, P.D.                                                1910-1911

            Craig, W.E.                                               1911-1913

            Ash, D.L.                                                    1913-1915

            Hamrick, C.E.                                           1915-1918

            Marquess, J.L.                                          1918-1919

            Trevy, B.T.                                                  1919-1921

            King, O. Dale                                           1921-1922

            Snider, C.A.                                              1922-1923

            Sampson, G.D.                                        1923-1925

            Riddle, H.M.                                              1925-1926

            Newman, B.F.                                          1926-1929

            Hall, R.D.                                               1929-1930

Knox, William                                         1930-1934

Bishop, F.S.                                           1934-1937

Bright, J.R.                                                       1937-1939

Cummings, M. Homer                                        1939-1942

Hutchinson, James P.                                        1942-1946

McKain, Paul H.                                                 1946-1949

Lowther, Russell D.                                            1949-1953

Cummings, J. Hugh                                            1953-1958

Byrd, Joseph P.                                                  1958-1960

Wooddell, James R.                                           1960-1961

Zumbrunnen, Thomas M.                                   1961-1962

Wooddell, James R.                                           1962-1968

Chandler, Robert O.                                          1968-1969

Ware, Virgil H.                                                  1969-1972

Wilson, James L.                                               1972-1980

Farley, Leo C.                                                    1980-1988

Clarke, Keith D.                                                 1988-1994

Farley, Leo C.                                                   1994-2000

Shreve, Joseph M.                                             2000-2004

Shepherd, James                                               2004-2004

Gedon, Steve                                                     2004-