The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-09-23
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CHURCH
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF WHAT
HAS GHoWN 10 BE ONE OF
THE STRONGEST scoNGREeA.
.isTloNss in THIS PART OF THE
\ STATE. z ! j. b 81 !, :. =

. - Y K ~ 81 --------sg ~ 'Ngl5e Z, IA
The history Of the First Methodist
Episcopal church dates back into the
thlrties and Its annals contain much
data OF general interest ..3s,fS .3s,f
The churchswas organized in 1887.
with the folowi1g membership, Mr..
and ,Mrss Kramer, Mr. and Mrs. James
Burns the grandparentso OF Mesdames
Laura staggers Della shlnn, John Nc:
Nary and Miss Margaret Burns. of
this city; Mr.. r.Sapd Mrs. HANSON Bog
CESS, who are the ancestors OF the
Boggess family :ot this county and
also OF the Houit families, and Mr..
and Mrs: Eugenius Boydston.
The first church building was
erected in t1S42 and occupied the site
where the p. e.: church now stands
on Washington street. OF the mem.
bers who worshiped In the old church
the only surviving ones are Mrs. i.
J. Vance and Mrs. Ell Musgraye.
The present. chprch. on Main street
was erected iii 1858 and 54 under the
pastorate Of Rev. n. H. Monroe. It
was dedicated on June the fourth Of
'54 by Bishop Scott and DR.. Abel
Stevens the latter the historian OF
Methodlsm: At the time the board
OF trustees was composed .of 'Festus
c. Pitcher, MID, Hoult, D. F. ;Turney,
David 3Turney, J. +. Dorsey, oliver
Jackson, II Y B. Hirons and George B.
D.: zumbro.l 2is5 n
: At The licloses OF the pastorate Of
Rev: Gideon -Maftln; In 1851, Fairmont
was, made q regular station and Rev.
J.-s: Patterson was the first station.
ed pastor iof the Srganlzatlon.
i8 OF sties,mi EistsS who I have served
fhea church. ~ .nmbers were iaII at
| rest sin : WoodlaWns Cemetery $they
are Rev: Gideon Martin, D. D.. Rev.
w: R. White. ID. D., Rev.. j. W. W.
Bolton and Rev. Jeremiah Engle, the
latter. having passed away two years
ago. 3
During nh those years many OF the
most prominent people OF FaIrmont
were identified. with Its work and en-.
rolled ms active members in its organ
ilzation, who34have passed. beyond.
Among these who were particularly
.promlnent3as It's workers, were Dan.
lei Turney and wife. Thos., Carpenter,
Thos. Stone, Capt. T. A. Maulsby and
wife. Israel Forman and wife, Robert
Mercer and wife, John B. Crane, Solo
mon, Steele, and wife, Stephen H.
Amos, Mrs Lydia Carr, Mrs. Mary ].
Jolliff, Mrs. "A. C.. Hall, Mrs Ruham.
ma Boydston, John Arnett. J. W. Up.
ton. J.. F. Hough. and wife. Mrs. !: c.
NJ. Houeh, Mrs. Thos. Red. Geo. B.
B. Zumbro and wife,, NJ. d. ,Hoult and
wife, Thos. Vance, Oliver Jackson
and wife, B. F. Swlsher and many 9th
ers whose names will be recalled by
those who knew and revered them.
The old church property. was dis
posed Of to T. Wilbur Hennen. Aug
8. 1910. 4.
New Building.
The rapid growth Of the church
body necessltated a, larger and more
modern building and on April 7th
1903 a committee composed Of Ell
Musgravc, DR.. F.. W. Howard, L. P
Carr, ]. r. Linn and. ]. NJ. Arnett was
appointed to examine and report upon
site for the building. This commit
tee selected the present site OF the
Building I'm Fclirmont avenue and
Fourth street The purchase was
made in regular order. the deed beal
ing date of May 4th. 1903. Definite
steps were not taken however toward
the erection OF the building unit
February 14th. 1910. On March nj
additional lot Of fifty feet was pur
chased adjoining the church site or
/ uhtch fn oranf n norqnnepot In MnI