As one drives down Seneca Street one small white frame building stands out on the west side of the 900 block, just north across the alley from Don Bottorff's law office. This building sits on the site of a building built by L. L. Estes in about 1858. It housed three different businesses on the first floor. The Town Hall occupied the upstairs of the building. It was from this building that the volunteers for the Civil War were mustered into service. At a later time, the businesses had addresses of 907, 909, and 911 Seneca Street.

By 1913, the new city hall had replaced the Town Hall, many of the Seneca Street businesses had migrated to Second Street, and the frame building was showing its age. It was torn down, and the three lots were offered for sale by Mrs. L. L. Estes, now a widow.

In June of 1913, the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene's was organized in Webster City under the leadership of F. J. Thomas. The first meetings were held in private homes and, as the congregation grew, in several different halls above the business district. Most often, the church used the J. D. Sketchley building which was located at the southwest corner of Seneca and Division Streets. On September 13, 1913, the church purchased the three Estes lots for $300. The September 16, 1913, edition of the Hamilton Freeman stated that the congregation was seeking its own home and would construct a church building as soon as enough money had been raised.

In 1914 the members erected this frame building. The first pastor was Rev. F. B. Gowland. At this time the congregation numbered 32, and there were 48 children enrolled in its Sunday School. This church was one of 14 Nazarene congregations in the Iowa District. The congregation continued to grow to about 50 members. The address of the new church was given in city directories as 909 Seneca, but the church occupied only the south half of the three lots.

A parsonage was purchased at 1423 Seneca Street and served all of the pastors until the church disbanded in 1968. In 1917 the pastor was P. N. Dunn; in 1926 he was replaced by Horace Ireland, whose wife Ellen worked in the church. Rev. D. Paul White was pastor in 1938. He had to retire in 1940 due to ill health. Rev. Reed J. Richards served from 1940 to 1943; Rev. Paul Madden served until 1945. The April 4, 1944, issue of the Freeman-Journal gives this account of the early church by Rev. Madden. The official meeting on June 12, 1913, elected the following officers: Secretary-treasurer, Mrs. May Carl; trustees, A. G. Kellogg, F. A. Pierce, Mrs. W. C. Johnstone, Mrs. May Carl, Mrs. M. B. Van Winkle; stewards, Mrs. B. F. Wickware, Mrs. O. N. Ross, Mrs. L. B. Sands, A. G. Kellogg, and deaconess, Mrs. F. A. Pierce.

Rev. Richards resumed the duties of pastor from 1947 to 1948, when he was replaced by Rev. James P. Mahan. From 1951 the pastors were Raymond E. Cox, Ralph E. Thompson, Dr. Gene C. Phillips, and Rev. Arthur M. Long, who served until 1964.

The church apparently suffered a split in the congregation, because the church property was sold on June 2, 1945, to Edna E. Easton for $2,750.00. The deed was signed for the church by O. D. Carpenter, Mrs. Bert Brown, and Miss Rosa Wepel.

The congregation resumed services in the parsonage at 1423 Seneca for a time. Then they rented a vacant house next door to the parsonage at 1425 Seneca, where services were held. The 1957 and 1958 telephone book lists these two houses as their church and parsonage. During this time the congregation numbers dropped to 28 members. In 1959 the Nazarene Church moved into the former German Lutheran Church building located at 800 Bank Street. The Nazarene Church in Clarion was also listed in the telephone books from 1959 until 1965. After 1966, only the Clarion church was listed.

Apparently the Nazarene Church on Seneca never had a telephone. The parsonage at 1423 Seneca had several different numbers. It was 6610 in 1920, 610J in 1921, 692 in 1957. The 610J number was used for party lines. There was also a 610W issued to some other party. The final number given in the phone book was 832-3417 which for an earlier time was TE2-3417.

In 1967 the church membership had shrunk to only 12 people. The Church History obtained from the General Secretary's Office shows that in 1968 the church was "disorganized." Pictured with this article is the Nazarene Church as it appeared in the 1930's.

The church building stands today. After the sale to Edna Easton in 1945 it was sold to W. Clive and Laura E. Huston in 1948, then to Lee W. Middleton in 1952, then to Kurt & Jean Miller in 1989 and finally to Sara and Mark Trueblood in 1994. The latter are still the owners. As you drive down Seneca today, think back on the history of these lots and the church that was erected on them.