Shelby  County  Indiana
Landmarks

The  First  United  Methodist  Church

          Now days most church services are held in, well, a church.  Like the First United Methodist Church is now, but this particular church didn't always have a church building for their services.  About 150 years ago they had their services in peoples houses or stores.
          During 1823, about 2 or 3 times a year, a passing minister would come and preach in the newly organized town of Shelbyville.  There was no attempt to form a society until 1825.  Before 1825, the Methodists still worshipped together, even though they were not "legally" together, even though they were not "legally" part of the "official" Methodist Church.
          Seven people met every Sunday at  Jacob  Shank's  cabinet shop.  It was a log cabin that was used during the week as a cabinet shop, and on Sundays as a Methodist Church.  It stood about where the City Hall stands now, on Washington Street.
          The next building the Methodists used for worship was a chair shop, owned by  J. C.  Sleeth,  on the corner of Tompkins and Franklin.  In addition to being a chair shop and a Methodist meeting house, it was also a post office.  On ordinary occasions it was a meeting house for other groups.
          When more people joined the congregation the Methodists moved to the courthouse which was then on the public square.
          After this they moved to the old school house, then known as the seminary. It was located on Franklin street and used for six years.
          By 1831 the congregation had grown to the point where they needed more space.  The "First Methodist Episcopal Church" began its legal existence on May 7, 1831.  This new church, which was located on the south west corner of Mechanic and Tompkins, was part of the four week circuit.  That meant they only had a minister every four weeks, although they still went and worshipped and read from their bibles each Sunday.

History  of  the  First  United  Methodist  Church

          After congregating in church members homes and three different locations, (a log cabin owned by Jacob Shank in 1825 on West Washington St, and only seven people attended.  Then the courthouse, last a little schoolhouse) there now is a church!
          In 1852 a new church is built on West Washington Street.  It had two floors, a sanctuary on the second and the Sunday School on the lower floor.  The tall tower which held a bell from Cincinnati let followers know that church was in session.  The tower was also very noticeable throughout Shelbyville.
          In 1955 the church members voted to build an educational building and new church.  The original building of 1852 was demolished in 1955 and rebuilt on West Washington Street.  It was rebuilt because it was in bad condition.  The educational building was finished in 1958, and the new church  in 1968.  The same tall tower was not on the new church but the same Cincinnati bell was used to call the church family to service.
          Now the First United Methodist Church congregation is over one hundred fifty years old, has over 500 people in membership, has two more floors than the last, and there is more than one Sunday School room (five to be exact)!  I think the church is a loved and interesting landmark.

Sources we used for our report:
Boetcker, Wm. J.H., Picturesque Shelbyville, Unigraph Inc., 1978. (Poster presentation)
Curtiss, George L., Rev. Mr., Pastor of the Shelbyville Church from 1876 to 1878, The History of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Shelby County and Shelbyville, Indiana, private printing.
McFadden, Marion, Biography of a Town, Tippecanoe Press Inc. 1963.
Centennial Souvenir: First Methodist Church, Shelbyville, Indiana, 1852-1952, compiled by N.I. Schoolfield & Mrs. R.S. Morris, 1952.  (Contained picture used for our model)
The Building Years: First United Methodist Church, Shelbyville, Indiana, 1952-1982, compiled by the Church History Committees 1979-1982, Tippecanoe Press, 1982. (Poster presentation)

This report was made for Mrs. Vaught's 4th Grade "Strive" program at Coulston Elementary School, Shelbyville.

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