Marysville First United Methodist Church

Frequently, my family can be found worshipping at the Marysville First United Methodist Church. While this is not where we are members, it is the church that I attended from childhood until I married Dennis. Today we will be attending this church for their annual Christmas Program. And, while I am sure the program will be uplifting as it always is, right now I am simply going to share some history of this Marysville landmark.


Marysville First United Methodist Church

Marysville Methodist Episcopal Church was founded at the Minturn Residence in 1827 by seven members. These members included George and Hannah Snodgress, Mr. and Mrs. George Minturn, Newton Hicks, and Silas G. Strong. Silas Strong was actually a Presbyterian who leant his name to the creation of the congregation to satisfy conference requirements by the Methodist Church.

The first Methodist Episcopal Church building was erected at the corner of East Fourth Street and Walnut Street. This building was just south of the old Marysville Cemetery. This church was used by the Methodist congregation until 1856. The building later burned down in 1863.

In 1956 the congregation built a brick church at the corner of Fifth Street and Walnut Street. Most of the labor for this church was provided by the congregation. Total costs for this building were right at $10,000.

The first parsonage for the congregation was built in 1871. This parsonage was located on the present-day site of the current Union County Court House. In 1880, the Marysville Methodist Episcopal Church sold its parsonage and the land on which it sat to the county for $3000.

In 1892, the Reverend Wilber I. Hodges was assigned to the congregation. He was well noted in the Methodist Episcopal Church for building new churches. Within three years the congregation began construction on the current church, located at the corner of Sixth Street and Court Street. On June 10, 1895, construction began on the church. On August 8, 1895 the cornerstone for the church was laid. Reverend Hodges died of typhoid fever in November of 1896, and he never saw the completion and dedication of the new church.

On December 22, 1896, a farewell service was held in the old brick church building at the corner of Fifth Street and Walnut Street. On January 1, 1897, the first church service was held in the current church building. The church was formally dedicated in February of 1897. The final cost of the original part of the current church was $40,000.00. Most of the labor was supplied by church members.

The sanctuary of the church was built utilizing the Akron design, meaning it was in a semi-circular design. Sunday school classrooms lined the sanctuary. In 1902 the pipe organ for the church was purchased at a cost of $2000.

In 1904, the congregation paid off the remainder of the debt on the original portion of the church. Also, in 1904, the congregation moved its parsonage(literally jacked up the home and moved it!) from the corner of East Seventh Street and Plum Street to West Sixth Street. The parsonage was moved again in 1930, when the congregation sold the parsonage lot to the Marysville Board of Education. This time Reverend Kennedy remained in the home as it was moved!

In 1939, the name of the church was changed from Marysville Methodist Episcopal Church to Marysville First Methodist Church. In 1948 the church was extensively remodeled. This included the addition of a new slate roof and a modernized kitchen in the basement.

In 1952, the Hazen property south of the church, was purchased by the congregation. In 1957, the Youth Center was built at the cost of $115,000. In 1958 a new parsonage was built on Hickory Drive. This parsonage is still in use today by the resident senior pastor of the congregation. For many years the old parsonage was used for church offices.

In 1961, the congregation purchased the Avery property that was located south of the church. In 1963 a building committee was formed. This committee was given the task to recommend razing or remodeling the church. The recommendation from the committee was to remodel the sanctuary. The sanctuary was completed gutted in 1963. The last church service was held in the old sanctuary in January of 1963. The new sanctuary was dedicated on November 24, 1963. The cost of the remodel was $266,000.

In 1968, the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church merged. This lead to the denomination being renamed the United Methodist Church. As a result, Marysville First Methodist Church became the Marysville First United Methodist Church.

In the years since, the church has undergone many changes. In 1972, an elevator to the sanctuary was installed. In 1975, the church began to hold two traditional worship services on each Sunday. In 1980, an addition was built for use as office space. Also, in 1980 the Methodist Creative Preschool was started. In 1988 the congregation purchased the old Marysville Public Library. This building was used until 1995 as space for Sunday School classes. The stain glass windows were professionally cleaned and restored in 1992. Also, in 1992 a second parsonage was purchased for use by the associate pastor of the congregation. On September 10, 1995 the cornerstone anniversary was celebrated, and another vault was buried near the original cornerstone. In 1997 the old library building was demolished to make space for another expansion project. And, in 1998 the Burnside Family Life Center was completed and dedicated.