Our History

The Methodist Church was the first denomination of any church in Dallas County Missouri.   It was organized in 1838-1839 in the log school house at Buffalo.  The school was located just west of the present Buffalo-Oak Lawn Cemetery near the east side of the southeast corner of the town square.  In 1844 the Methodist Episcopal Church divided over slavery with the Buffalo church adhering to the Methodist Episcopal Church South.  A church was built at the corner of Maple and Lincoln streets.

In 1863 the Dallas County courthouse was burned during one of the many skirmishes along the Springfield and Warsaw road.  The Methodist Church was then used by the court until July 30, 1864 when the church was burned.  The church was rebuilt southwest of the square.  After the church was destroyed in 1864, the congregation was reorganized into two groups, the Methodist Episcopal Church North and the Methodist Episcopal Church South.  The South church was located on what is now the southwest corner of the second block on West Mail.  The North church united with the Baptists in 1869 in building a frame church at a cost of $1600.  They called it Union House and it was located in the center of the block now occupied by our present church.  The two denominations continued to use this building on alternate Sundays until 1888 when the Methodists purchased the interest of the Baptists and became the sole owners. 

The land was given to the Methodist Church by W. L. and Sarah Morrow and plans were made for a church building.  The frame church was moved south to the southeast corner of Walnut and Benton and it was used there while the new church was under construction.  In 1889, the present brick church was erected.  The plans for the church were drawn in St. Louis and was built at a cost of slightly more than $10,000.  It was considered one of the outstanding buildings in this part of Missouri at that time and still remains a prominent landmark in Dallas County. 

Some interesting details about the building are the black brick which forms a trim around the church was hand-dipped by members of the congregation, both the ceiling and the floor in the sanctuary are in the form of a cross, the stain finish on the ceiling has never been refinished (as of this publishing).  The large Star of David windows and the tall gothic style windows, with small colored panes outlining them add much to the beauty of the church. 

Through the years changes have been made in the church.  The chancel arc was lowered from the high semi-circle to slightly above the sanctuary floor.  The chancel was later extended north and south to furnish room for the organ and choir. A straight communion rail replaced the earlier semi-circular style railing.