E. Church Street and North Poplar Street
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"The earliest known appearance of a Methodist itinerant near Oxford was in the Spring of 1805. A portly dignified man of intellectual face was seen astride a large, black horse at Four Mile Creek, near Mr. DeWitt's farm. This traveler gave his name as Moses Crume, missionary of the M. E. Church to the Indians. He afterward lived in Oxford for many years and was buried in the Oxford cemetery. Soon after 1805 Moses Crume made his appearance in Oxford and made an appointment for preaching. The place of worship was in the log building on the lot directly north of, and opposite to the present public school building. Moses Crum was regularly appointed to the Oxford circuit in 1813, and served one year. |
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(photo courtesy of Smith Library of Regional History) |
In the year 1819, the society began to build a new place of worship upon the site of the present Church House. The erection was seriously hindered by a storm which demolished two of the completed walls. By great sacrifice, especially on the part of John Keely, who mortgaged his personal property, the building was finished in 1820. The Church House stood unplastered for a number of years, the society being too poor and depressed to do more. The seats were made of saplings and oak logs.
In 1830 the building was considerably improved, enlarged and the entrance turned from the east to the north. The third building was begun in May, 1872, the cornerstone being laid formally by the Rev. Granville Moody, D. D. The Presbyterian Church of Oxford offered its New School church and here the Methodists worshipped from April, 1872 to January, 1873. From April, 1873 to July, 1873, the Methodists worshipped in the Chapel of Miami University.
It was a great day for the local society when, on July 6, 1873, the new building was dedicated by Rev. S. T. Gillitt, D. D., of Greensburg, Indiana. The Sunday School met in the afternoon in the Second Presbyterian Church, and marched to their new classrooms. The meeting was conducted by P. D. Matson, superintendent. The singing was led by John E. Chatten and Samuel Tracy, Miss Anna Matson, organist. The speakers were Prof. H. S. Osborne, Prof. J. A. Lowes, Rev. L. E. Grennan, Charles Wells, Christopher Jackson, P.H. Cone, and T.J. Harris, pastor.
The Rev. S.R. Dunham is the present pastor."
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