Religious services in Pollock
area throughout most of the 19th century were held by traveling circuit
riders. The church traces its roots to November 26, 1894 when two
lots were purchased from Eugene S. Cronk. That lot is now at the
northwest corner of Highway 165 and Highway 8. A Methodist Episcopal
Church, South was built on the property sometime before 1904. One
member said that the church was “flat looking with lots of windows.”
Another lot was given to the church by H.H. McNeely in 1905.
Another Methodist church sprang
up after two lots were donated to the church on December 14, 1897 from
J.H. McNeely. That church, a Methodist Protestant church, was built
sometime before 1908. Tradition says that the original church was
burned down when a fire destroyed the town. A new church was built
soon after.
The two Methodist churches,
only two blocks from each other, served the town for several decades.
The M.E.C.S. church was affectionately known as “Miss Hattie’s Church”
and the M.P. church was known as “Miss Mollye’s Church” after two pioneer
members in each church. When the three major branches of Methodism
merged in 1939, the two churches in Pollock merged as well. The M.E.C.S.
property was sold to D.M. Powers, who started a garage business on the
site. The merged congregation then met at the former M.P. church
at 1921 Hunter Street.
The church’s property increased
in 1954 when the R.A. Walker family donated a lot on the east side of the
church. An education building was built behind the church in 1954.
The church’s name was legally changed in 1956 from the Pollock Methodist
Church to The First Pollock Methodist Church.
In 1957, the church building
was sold to the Methodist congregation at Wardville, where it became the
Grace Methodist Church. That church faded away after about a decade
and the property sold about 1970. Back in Pollock, a new church was
built that same year. Church services were held in the education
building during construction. The dedication service, led by Rev.
Marvin H. Hockenhull, was held on November 24, 1957.
In 1965, a new parsonage was
built. In 1966 the church bought the Thomason property, extending
the church’s property all the way to Steward Street. An addition
was made to the fellowship hall in 191. Another lot in the back of
the church was purchased in 1998.
Source: The People Called Methodists: Pollock United
Methodist Church,1894-2003 |
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