In the second half of the 19th
century, the area of present-day Sicily Island was served by the Pine Hill
Church located about five miles away. That Methodist church had been
built around 1860.
When a railroad came through
the area, a town named Florence was formed in 1890. Its name was
changed to Sicily Island in 1912. As the town grew, the Methodists
wanted a church closer to home. H.M. Peniston donated an acre of
land in 1893 so that a parsonage could be built. Two years later,
Louis K. Hyde of Titusville, PA donated a lot on which to build a church.
At first, services were held
in a school. Revivals were held between 1905 and 1908 by two preachers
from Texas … Sister Bartlett and Sister Pardue. The revivals helped
to inspire people to organize and build the church.
A pastor (Rev. S.S. Bogan) was
assigned in 1908 and led seventy people in uniting with the church on November
21, 1909. The structure, which was the first church building in town,
was completed by 1910. There were seventy members at that time.
A parsonage was completed about 1912. Classrooms were added in 1945.
By 1962, the church had acquired
five lots towards the front of the block. A new sanctuary was built
and was completed by 1965. The previous sanctuary was used as an
education building for about a decade. In 1975, a new education building
was constructed. The rear half of the block was purchased in 1974.
The church owned the complete block after the last two lots were donated
to the church by Jeanette Saltzman Gremillion in 1988.
In 1995, construction began
on the Darien Reid Bird Family Life Center. It was dedicated on April
29, 1996 |
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