In 1850, nearby residents built
their first church on the old homesite of Mr. and Mrs. Verge Madden.
This was near the latter-day home of Mrs. Snow Durrett. The boys
and men sat on one side of the aisle, and the girls and women sat on the
other side. The board of trustees wasn’t incorporated until 1866.
In 1882, a lot was bought for
$300 from Francis Stubbs. The deed stated that the land was to be
used on which to built a parsonage. A new church was built around
1884 one block east of the courthouse. The church had a bell tower
and a library. There were two amen corners … one for males and one
for females. The dedication service in 1892 was led by Bishop C.G.
Galloway. That church burned down in 1910.
A new lot was bought from Dr.
Joseph Atkinson on May 22, 1910 for $200. The new church was dedicated
on June 25, 1911. A parsonage was built on the lot to the south of
the church. Both buildings were painted light brown on the top and
dark brown on the bottom.
The cornerstone for a new church
was laid on December 12, 1923. One of the items in the cornerstone
was a copy of the Bienville Democrat. The first service in the new
church was held on March 16, 1924. Bishop Hoyt Dobbs gave the sermon
(“Let Us Build”).
The decision was made in 1943
to get a new parsonage. In 1947, church property across the street
was sold for $2000. The parsonage was built in 1948-49. Rev.
L.E. Douglas and his family moved in the new home at the end of 1949, and
the dedication led by Bishop Paul Martin was held on February 6, 1949.
An education building was added
to the facilities in 1962. |
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