13. First United Methodist Church

In 1833, a small band of people here formed a Methodist congregation.  Some of the first church members included the families of John H. Cornish, William Lucas, E. R. Brown, Warner Brown, Rev. William N. Hayes and Col. N. G. Hickman.  In 1845, the new Union County’s first Methodist church, aptly named First Methodist Church, was built out of logs on its current property on Hill Street that was purchased from Warner Brown for only $30.  He later donated additional adjoining land for a church cemetery and gave a bell as well.  A second church building was erected out of lumber on the site in 1871.  In 1901, congregation members C. P. McHenry, W. H. Goodwin, W. J. Miles, W. J. Pinson, H.C. Norris and A. P. Thompson, along with Rev. J. A. Sage oversaw the construction of a third building out of brick.  With the discovery of oil came plans for a totally new church.  From 1922 to 1924, the congregation worshiped either under a white tent one block over on Jackson Avenue or in the nearby Rialto Theatre, until finally the current sanctuary structure was complete.  The church has since added an educational building and chapel (1957), a name change in 1968 to First United Methodist Church, and the Hanna Building recreational and meeting complex (1980’s).