First United Methodist Church is a historic congregation of the United Methodist Church in downtown London, Ohio, United States. Founded in London's earliest years, the congregation worships in a historic

church building A church, church building or church house is a building used for Christian worship services and other Christian religious activities. The earliest identified Christian church is a house church founded between 233 and 256. From the 11th thro ...

that was built in the 1890s.

Congregational history

A small group of individuals formed a congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1813 or 1814, very soon after London was platted. In its earliest years, the society's members worshipped in each other's homes, and preaching was rare; London's church was part of a

circuit Circuit may refer to: Science and technology Electrical engineering * Electrical circuit, a complete electrical network with a closed-loop giving a return path for current ** Analog circuit, uses continuous signal levels ** Balanced circu ...

of twenty-four Methodist preaching stations. In 1820, the congregation built a log church building on a downtown corner lot; it was the first church building in London. After twenty years, the congregation decided to move. Obtaining property a few blocks away, they built a larger frame church, on each side, and a brick

parsonage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically own ...

.''History of Madison County Ohio: Its People, Industries and Institutions''. Chester E. Bryan, gen. ed.

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

: B.F. Bowen, 1915. During the 1860s, the congregation saw many changes. In 1860, the pastor's responsibilities were reduced; except for Kingsley Chapel, a small church near London, he was no longer assigned to serve any churches other than London, and Kingsley later closed. The same year saw the completion of a new brick church building, which was placed on the site of the frame church building; measuring by , it cost $7,500 to build. Other buildings were erected in the following few years: a new parsonage was completed in 1863, and a small chapel was added to the church's rear in 1866 by the gift of a member. Among the congregation's leading past members was Jeriah Swetland, prominent local businessman and

state representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

Church building

Continued growth produced a need for a fourth church building, and the third building was sold in the early 1890s. Buying a house at 52 N. Main Street, the congregation moved it to a nearby empty lot and renovated it for use as a parsonage. With the house's original location now empty, a larger church was erected on the site. At the time of its dedication on November 18, 1894, it had cost $45,000 to build. This church remains in use to the present day. Designed by the architectural firm of Crapsey and Brown, it was built in a combination of the

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

and Jacobean Revival architectural styles. The church's brick and sandstone walls rests on a foundation of sandstone; they are topped with an asphalt roof, and the building is decorated with wooden and glass elements.

Recognition

In 1996, First United Methodist was listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its well-preserved historic architecture. Today, First United Methodist is a part of the Capitol Area South District of the West Ohio

Conference A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main p ...

of the United Methodist Church. As of 2019, it is served by Pastor David Leckrone and Associate Pastor Seth Evans.London First UMC, London, OH
, West Ohio Conference, 2010. Accessed 2010-07-14.

References

External links

National Register nomination form
{{NRHP in Madison County, Ohio Churches completed in 1894 19th-century Methodist church buildings in the United States Gothic Revival church buildings in Ohio Jacobean architecture in the United States Buildings and structures in Madison County, Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Madison County, Ohio 19th-century Methodist church buildings Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio Religious organizations established in 1814 United Methodist churches in Ohio London, Ohio 1814 establishments in Ohio