The Melville charge first appears
in the 1887 Louisiana Conference Journal, when Jeptha Landrum (who is buried
in the cemetery) was appointed to serve the area. He had organized
the Melville Methodist Church on November 15, 1886 with 36 members.
On April 19, 1887, property on the corner of First and Payton Streets was
obtained and the first church was built. After the church was destroyed
by a storm, a second church was constructed in 1894 by J.S. Burgess.
It was 32 by 50 feet in size with a tower 44 feet high. Wood from
the original church was used in the construction.
The 1894 church served until
October 2, 1949, when the last service was held there. It was torn
down to make room for a new, larger church. While construction took
place, services were held in the Melville High School Gym. The minister
at that time was Rev. Sam Lantrip. The congregation concentrated
on raising funds for the new building. They sold dinners, wrote letters
asking for donations, and had many other fund-raisers. The building
was finally completed. The stained glass windows behind the pulpit
are from the original church building.
The original parsonage was replaced
in 1959 under the leadership of Rev. O.L. Golson. The new parsonage
is located behind the church. |
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How to Get There:
From Hwy 190, turn north onto Hwy 105. You will get to Melville after
about 11 miles. When you get into town, turn right onto State Hwy
10 (LaFleur). After 1/4 mile, turn north onto Landrum (Hwy 105).
You will pass under RR tracks. After 2 blocks, turn left onto First
St. At the corner of First and Payton (two blocks down), you will
see the church on your right. |
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