HISTORY OF

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - WINTERSET

The first Methodist services in the county were held in Walnut Township at Camp Meetings. As the population grew, Methodist congregations popped up all over the county and predominated in numbers as they still do today. Winterset very quickly formed a congregation and in the following years, not only grew with the town but absorbed members from the rural churches who could no longer sustain their own church.

The log courthouse built in Madison County in the early days was the first public meeting place of the Winterset Methodist forefathers. Previous to services being held in the Courthouse, people had been meeting in homes throughout the county which were being served regularly by ministers on horseback. The preacher would mount a store box in the center of the room and the audience would sit about on benches.

The first Methodist minister who preached in Winterset was George W. Teas, who was appointed to the Three Rivers Mission, a circuit formed at a session of the Iowa conference held at Fort Madison, in August, 1849. Andrew Coleman, who was the presiding elder of the Des Moines District at that time visited the County during the year and preached at the various appointments in the County. It was during this year, 1849, that the first church organization at Winterset was formed. It consisted of 10 members, as follows: Claiborne Pitzer, who was appointed class leader; E. R. Guiberson, wife and mother; Israel Guiberson, Thomas Ainsley, Esther Ainsley, James Folwell and wife and Martin Ruby. Parson Teas reported 154 members on the circuit at the end of the first year.

In 1850, Teas was replaced by Rev. G. Case who in turn, was replaced by Rev. David T. Sweem in 1851. That year the circuit contained 329 members and 5 local preachers. In September 1852, the old circuit was divided in two and the western part became the Winterset Mission to which Rev. Robert G. Hawn was sent. Hawn was followed by R. Swearingen who served 2 years during which membership doubled. The growth continued and in 1865, Winterset was removed from the circuit to become a station with an assigned pastor.

Space will not permit relating the many achievements of each pastor. However, the following is a list is a pastor known by name. Many of the early pastors, being circuit riders, served simultaneously and records were not kept of the specific years.

In the early 1850s the Commissioners of Winterset donated lots in the 300 block on East Jefferson the Methodists for a building site. The location was described by some as “far out on the prairie”, and there were those who excused themselves from attending church saying they would to “trail through the wet grass”. In 1869 lots were purchased in the 1k00 block of Green Street and new church building was begun. Financial difficulties beset the contractor and the project had to be abandoned. The old church at 212 E. Jefferson was repaired and used until 1880. The church built in 1880 cost $7000 and was built on the same location on Jefferson Street.

In 1884 a fine two story parsonage was built next door to the church. In 1967 it was torn down and a new one story parsonage built at 101 S. 4th on lots donated to the church through the will of Elizabeth Ruby.

The present church building was constructed 1918.

The membership totals 980 members as of 1984. with an annual budget of $106,000. There have

Winterset Methodist Episcopal Church (1880)

Photo courtesy of 1915 Madison County History

been many changes over the past 125 years. The church has grown from a log cabin to a spacious brick structure valued at $530,000. A Day Care Center was opened in 1974, caring for 25 children.

In the 1960s two rural Methodist Churches in the county closed and many of their members joined the fellowship of the Winterset Church.