Geauga record. [volume] (Chardon, Geauga County, Ohio) 1952-1962, 1959-08-06
Methodist
Continued from First Page

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Parsons, as representative
of the trustees; George Ia
kany, contractor; and other
officials of the church.
August Z is a date tha t
shines brightly in the Metho-
dist churcharchives. 1t was
on August 7, 1918, that a list
of the Methodists living and
worshiping in Chardon was
sent to the Annual Confer :
ence for the purpose of es-
tablishing a Methodist Soc
iety in Chardon.
Peter Chardon Brooks, for
whom Chardon is named, had
promised a bell to the con-
gregation that built the first
house of worship here. On
August 7, 1884, the bell was
shipped, and that fall was
hung in the belfry of t h e
wooden frame church t h a t
was the first home of tn e
Methodist congregation. Tt
stood on the site where Wet
tstein's bakery is now. The
parsonage then stood at the
corner of Main and Center
Streets.
August Z, 1888, the corner
stone for a new brick church
was laid, and this is the build
ing now occupied. The ol d
church was moved directly
back of Main Street. and for
many years served the firm
of Parks and Barker as a
warehouse. The parsonage
was also moved back, and is
now the first residence on the
south side of Center street.
A new parsonage was pur :
chased on the south east cor
ner of East Park and North
Hambden streets. This even
tually was sold, and the pre-
sent parsonage is located at
108 North street.
In 1855, 1t was decided that
the church was not adequate
for the needs Of the growing
congregation, and a building
program was instituted with
G. Donald Schade of Warren
as the architect. The r e v.
Harry A. Carney was t h e
pastor at that time. In late
1858, enough assets had been
accumulated, and bids were
accepted for construction
The contract was awarded
to the George r. zakany Con-
struction company in Decem.
ber, 1858. Ground was brok-
en- on January 25, 1859, wheIl
the typical Chardon weather
provided intermittent snow
squalls. The new unit, on a
90 acre site, is expected tc
be completed this November
The education unit will in
clude class room facilities,
| administrative offices, a cha
pei, kitchen, and a la g {
fellowship hall where servic
es will be held until the sane
tuary unit is constructed IL
about five years. A large
parking lot adjoins the build
ing.
The bell, so much a par
of the Methodist history. viii
be removed to the new chur
ch when the sanctuary uni
is completed and will b e
housed in a specially design
ed tower.
An interesting side light i
| a comparison of the relativ,
| costs of the three churches
completed. The first church
built in 1924, cost So, ZOO. O
when completed, The propos
ed dishWasher alone for tn
new building will cost app
roximately that amount. TIL
| second church, completed am
occupied in 1888, cost $4,000
90. Thenew church, when bot,
units are completed will hav
meant an expenditure of be
tween $3.50, 100000 and $500,
000. 90.
Hoping that the present
building will continue to b
used as a house of worship
the trustees of the church ar
now negotiating its sale to tn
Chardon Assembly of G c
congregation, which has out
grown it's facilities.
A chronological report c
the important events in tn
historical Chardon Methods
church is as follows.
The first preaching servie
| es were held as early as 1915
The church was formally
: organized in 1918.
First building was erecte
1882 "a; dedicated in 1885,
The bell, a gift Of P e t e
Chardon Brooks. hung in 183
, Old church building re
paired and gallery removed
about 1850.
, Cornerstone of the preSer
church building laid Angus
4, 1888.