Centennial History of Butler County, 1905 The first Methodist society in this community held its sessions and class meetings in the log cabin of James Grimes, who laid the foundation of his home on a tract of land, school section 16, just east of Middletown and now owned by Mrs. L. D. Doty. Father Grimes, as he was always known, was born in Virginia in 1760, and moved to this locality in 1805. He came here bearing license from the quarterly conference of his home church as a local preacher, and as soon as his home was built he began to assemble the people of the settlement together for class meetings and preaching services. In those pioneer days these classes, as assembled, were not known as churches but as "Methodist societies" and the buildings where they met as "meeting houses."

Mr. Grimes was possessed of a good education for those times, and had a high and just appreciation of the advantages of education and Christian teaching, and he began at once, as was the habit of the Methodist local preachers, to call the people to worship with himself and wife in their log cabin.

He was a man gifted with far more than ordinary intellectual powers, rare common sense, and executive force; these were all backed by great firmness and courage, all of which qualities were necessary in the experiences of pioneer life. He was a devout, earnest Christian, as was his wife, and filled with a burning desire to help men to a better life, began both to teach in his cabin as early as 1805 and 1806.

Mr. Grimes was of medium height, robust and muscular, and a carpenter by trade he erected a number of substantial buildings in this neighborhood. Mr. Grimes and other Methodist ministers in their wide and earnest sweep over these western lands, continued to hold divine services in his cabin, in those of the neighbors, and in the little one-story school house at the corner of Second and Third streets, for a number of years. In 1815 Mr. Grimes was ordained and licensed as a local deacon by Bishop Asbury, at Lebanon, Ohio, where the session of the Ohio conference was then held. The original certificate, signed by the bishop, is now in the possession of the writer. Under the leadership of Father Grimes and other devoted preachers, Mrs. John Sutphin, Joseph Lummis, John Lummis, George Grimes, Benjamin King, Rebecca Bridge, Sarah Lummis, Mary Green, Susan Grimes, Mrs. James Heaton, Sarah Bowman, J. W. Leadman, Vina Pete, Israel and J. T. Gibson, James Heath and Hugh McTigert became members of the church at the great religious awakenings that took place under the leadership of the preachers of that day.

In 1829 the society bought a piece of ground on Second Street, being a part of lot 71, in this city, and in May of that year a deed was conveyed to the trustees in consideration of fifty dollars.  Hereon the society erected a small brick meeting house.  This was the first brick meeting house in Middletown and was dedicated by Bishop Soule. .

This little church served the people from 1829 to 1849, when the society built a new two-story church on Broadway, on part of lot 74, which building is still standing as is the first brick church on Second Street.  Here the work grew, the congregation and Sunday school became too large and plans began to be made for a new house of worship.  The new project was made certain by a generous proposal from C.F. Gunckel, dated May, 1889, in which he stated he would add ten thousand dollars to the new church funds as soon as the congregation raised an additional ten thousand dollars.  This, under the lead of Pastor D.C. Vance was made good in ninety days.

On March 1, 1890, ground was broken on lot 84 for the new stone church.  On May 31, the cornerstone was laid, and May 3, 1891, the church was dedicated by Bishop J.W. Joyce.  The enterprise cost the society fifty thousand dollars which has all been paid.  The congregation has a membership of six hundred and fifty-seven and a Sunday school of four hundred.

 © 2000 by the Butler County Historical Society