History
of the Washington United Methodist Church
Methodism came to Kansas with the earliest settlers. The work in Clay
and Washington counties seems to have radiated from Fort Riley and Manhattan.
Early settler, Philip Darby, remembered that Rev. R. L. Hartford used to
gallop up from Manhattan in 1860 and preach in the Darby cabin near
Morrowville.
There were about 150 people in Washington County in 1858 and these were
greatly scattered. The City of Washington was laid out in the spring of 1860.
The town “company house”, a log cabin on West Fourth Street was used as a
schoolhouse and the people held Sunday school there. Mrs. J. W. Barley
attended Sunday school there in the spring of 1867 and there was preaching at
intervals. Washington was then part of a large circuit and the preacher could
not come often. The Rev Erastus Chalmer
Chilson served the Washington Circuit in 1868. (Click
here to read his life story.)
The first preachers were missionary circuit riders. Washington was the
center of a circuit; at one time there were five preaching places. For years
Washington received missionary money to supplement local funds to support
pastors. The Washington church was organized in 1861 with R. L. Harford and F.
H. Robertson as ministers.
From 1874 to 1878 the Methodists occupied the Presbyterian church, one
half of each Sabbath. At that time Washington consisted of three business
houses and about ten homes scattered over the town.
In spite of financial problems the work of the church went on. In 1866
there were 250 volumes in the Sunday school library. The church school was a
very important aspect of the church from the beginning. Demographics and
cultural changes at the present time make the following numbers even more
surprising. In 1924 Sunday school membership (children and adults) was 442 and
the average attendance was 218.
(Click on photo for a larger view)
(Early church photos and postcards)
With the building of the church in 1878 a new era began. The September
6, 1878 issue of the Washington Republican newspaper had an
article describing the new church. The cost was $2500.00 and the building was
to be dedicated the following Sunday. The church had a bell tower housing a
500-pound bell. It would no longer be necessary to ring the school bell on
Sunday mornings. This building was enlarged twice and was complete with
stained glass windows and a pipe organ.
(Ladies Group circa 1913-17)
A new building was deemed necessary in the 1920s.
In 1924 the first history of the church, a four-page brochure, was printed.
The first church was razed and the new one was erected on the same site.
During the demolition and construction, church was held in the Court House. J.R.Smith
& Son, Lincoln. Nebraska, were the architects and the builder was A.G.
Nims, a local contractor.
(Cornerstone laying)
The excavation of the basement was done by hand, the dirt loaded into
wagons and then hauled away.
(Dedication of Building 1929)
The cost of the church was $50,000. Various fundraisers were necessary
including a production of “A Womanless Divorce” in March of 1929.
Seventy local men took part in this production. Proceeds were $175.00.
The stained glass windows were given in memory of various church
leaders as well as several groups within the church. The Dorcas Sunday school
class gave the window portraying Christ knocking at the door. In four years
this class of older women quilted 244 quilts and pledged $1200 for the new
church. The window cost $160.00.
(1929
United Methodist Church)
The March 1, 1929 Register describes the new edifice as
“red brick with white stone trim. The main floor with its adjacent rooms is
finished in oak with oak floors while the basement is finished in hard pine
with oak floors. The main auditorium including the balcony will seat 400.
There are 14 smaller rooms that will be used for Sunday school, pastor’s
study and choir rooms. The dining hail has a seating capacity of 150.”
(1931
Vesper Choir)
In 1936 the church celebrated its Diamond Jubilee during the week of
October 18-25. A small historical booklet was printed at that time.
(Easter
Sunday Choir- year unknown)
The 70th Anniversary Edition, a supplement to the Washington County
Register, published in 1938 credits the Methodist congregation as being one of
the oldest in Washington County and as having one of the largest memberships
in the county.
The first property owned by the church in Washington was a little
parsonage on West Second Street. The pastors occupied this as early as 1867.
It was sold in 1878 and lot 18 in block 28 was purchased for $350. It had a
small house on that was used until the pastorate of J. H. Green in 1885 when
four rooms were added to it. The entire house was rebuilt in 1902. The current
parsonage was dedicated in June of 1952.
No bell tower was included in the plans for the present church and the
bell was stored for many years, but in 1980 a new bell tower was constructed
and the original bell installed.
A consecration service on September 19, 1999 was held to celebrate the
construction of a large addition to the original building. An elevator was
installed, along with a new pastor’s study and secretary’s office and
meeting room, a commons area and restrooms.
Six men have been called to ministry from this congregation. The
mission of the church remains to make disciples and to radiate Christian love
throughout the community.
(Prepared
by Mary Alice Pacey)
Pastors
Who Served United Methodist Church
Washington,
Kansas
-
1861 R L. Hartford and E. H. Robertson
- 1862
E. H. Robertson
- 1863-66
Washington Buffington
- 1866-67
James Phillips
- 1868
Erastus Chalmer (E. C). Chilson
(Click to read his life story)
- 1869
M.
P. Welty and E. J. Fulford
- 1870
B.
H. Robertson
- 1871
Left to be supplied
- 1872-73
E. W. Van Deventer
- 1874-76
E. R. Brown
- 1877-78
A. N. See
- 1879
J. C. Dana
- 1880
Henry Frank
- 1881
B. F. Kephart
- 1882-83
A. H. Walter
- 1884-85
J. H. Green
- 1886-87
R. F. McBride
- 1888
H.
L. McNabb
- 1889-90
E. J. Baskerville
- 1891
R.
L. McNabb
- 1863-66
Nathan Taylor
-
1867 Nehemiah Green
- 1870-73
George S. Dearborn
- 1874-75
Calvin Holinan
- 1876-30
W. J. Mitchell
- 1880-81
J. H. Lockwood
- 1882-83
Richard Wake
- 1884-87
W. H. Underwood
- 1888
James Lawrence
- 1889-93
John H. Madison
- 1894-99
W. H. Underwood
- 1900-05
S. A. Bright
- 1892
E. M
Randall Jr.
- 1893-94
Josephus Collins
- 1895-97
0. M. Bowman
- l898-02
J. G. Henderson
- 1903
Win.
H. Zimmerman
- 1904-05
D. A. Leeper
- 1906-10
J. W. H. Clardy
- 1911-12
J. B. Vernon
- 1913-17
C. M. Williams
- 1918
S. L. Chase
- 1919
F. B. Benson
- 1920-25
John Endacott
- 1925-27
F. C. Thorp
- 1927-29
P. B. Knepp
- 1929-36
A W. Sainuelson
- l936-39
J. H. Hoopengarner
- 1939-42
M. H. Matthaei
- 1942-47
M. H. Bisbee
- 1947-52
Leslie F. Toburen
-
1952-56—Robert M Gordon
- 1956-62
Walter R. Grist
- 1962-66
John H. Baker
- 1966-71
Charles B. Wretling
- 1971-78
William T. Wilkoff
-
1978-87 Charles A. Grant
-
1987-93 Richard W. Krenz
-
1993-97 Dennis H. Livingston
-
1997-2003 John R. Wright
-
2003-present Phil Morris
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