The first church was built in Old
Benton on land donated by Elizabeth ONeill on December 13, 1872.
The church was built for use by the Southern Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal
Church South, and Protestant Episcopal residents. As the town grew,
the Methodist members began to look for a place nearer the center of town
for their own church. On May 7, 1894, Mrs. Ada C. Butts sold the
church property for a nominal $1. A church building was completed
in October 1895 on Simpson Street. The telephone office now stands
on the site.
In 1898, Mrs. Sue T. Abney donated
$50 to buy a lot in the Ann Burns subdivision on which to build a parsonage.
As the congregation grew, larger
facilities were needed. In June 1923, Mrs. Adelaide Abney Scanland
donated a lot on the corner of Lee and Bellevue Streets to the church.
A new white frame church was built and was dedicated on August 20, 1924.
Rev. D.F. Anders began working
on plans for a new church as the congregation ran out of space in the late
1940s. Work began on a new $75,000 church in July 1950. The
opening service was led by Bishop Paul Martin on February 11, 1951.
The dedication service was held on September 25, 1960. An education
building was added on the west side of the sanctuary, followed by a fellowship
hall and kitchen in 1978. A parsonage on Jackson Street was also
acquired.
A new church was constructed
in the late 1990s, with the first service held on February 21, 1999.
The new structure contained a sanctuary, fellowship hall, kitchen, classrooms,
library, and office space. A tornado hit the area soon thereafter,
on April 3. Though the church was only slightly damaged, the parsonage
and other homes in the area suffered extensive damage.
Source: Our Journey Over the Years, Abie Johnston &
Louise J. Grisham |
http://www.bentonumc.org/
