Local church, cemetery make historic register
The First United Methodist Church and the old city cemetery have been named to the National Register of Historic Places.
The church’s congregation dates to the 1830s and the present Methodist sanctuary dates to the 1840s. The current church building was dedicated in 1889 after several years of fund-raising generated $18,000.
Two bequests later resulted in the construction of the Martin Gribble addition to the church. Today, the congregation numbers about 750. The current minister is Rev. Bob Case.
According to historical accounts of the old city cemetery, the present-day High Street cemetery was located on what was then called River Street outside the city limits. Samuel Colville, a member of one of the city’s founding families, was reported to be the first burial in 1813, followed by many prominent citizens over the years.
When Riverside Cemetery was started in 1878, many local families moved their loved ones to that location and the city cemetery became a thing of the past. The last known burial was in 1938.
National Register status provides some avenues for historic preservation for non-profit sites and would allow for tax credits where applicable.