The First Building

The entire row of homes across Walnut St. from today's church is on the site of our church from 1809-1841.  Number 38, the PermaStone home at the end of the row closest to Duke St., was our parsonage beginning in 1854.

In August, 1809 Thomas Bright paid $150 to purchase a lot on the corner of Walnut and Christian Sts. for $150. Today the entire row of homes opposite the church occupies that lot.

Bright was acting, secretly, for the society of Lancaster Methodists. Prejudice against Methodists at the time was so strong that the true reason for the purchase had to be concealed. Six months later, the property was conveyed to the trustees of the Methodist Society.

One of the trustees who received the property was Andrew Ellicott. Ellicott was the surveyor who laid out the city of Washington, D.C. Ellicott moved to Lancaster in 1803. Meriweather Lewis came to his home on Prince St. to learn surveying procedures before departing on the Lewis & Clark expedition. In 1813 Ellicott moved to West Point to become a professor of math. His home still stands, next to the Prince St. Garage.


A plain, one story brick building was erected. It faced Walnut St. and sat some distance back from the street. The building was 38 feet wide and 45 feet deep. The pulpit was about 6 feet above the main floor. The ceiling was arched and the pews were plain. Heat was provided by a 10-plate wood stove, placed on the women’s side of the church. Light came from tallow candles in wall sconces. We have no sketches or pictures of the building.

The first meetings were held in the building on December 17, 1809. Henry Boehm could not be present as he was in South Carolina with Bishop Asbury at the time. Several prominent preachers of the Philadelphia Conference preached that day. But we have no records of who attended, how many were present, or any other details.

In 1811 Thomas Ware was appointed as our first full-time pastor. He was a circuit rider, but his failing health led to this appointment so that he would not need to travel. Except for that one year, the church was served by circuit riders until 1828 when Joseph McCool was appointed.
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The Second Building