United Methodist Church building celebrates 100 years

By Colonel Fred Shaw and Courtney Warren

The sound of an organ reverberating off of stained glass windows and church walls while a congregation sings is something that simply cannot be replicated. This is a sound that many find comfort in, many find hope in, and many find Jesus in. At First United Methodist Church of Canton, that sound is not only celebrated because of who is being worshipped, but, this year, the sound gives praise for being 100 years old. 

Much of the following information is due to a devoted member of the church and unofficial historian, Lettye Ruth Williams.  She spent countless hours compiling documents, memorabilia, and other resources that made the research of current historians, including Mr. Fred Shaw, much easier.  

“I have been working on this project for close to a year now, and any success I have had in this labor of love I owe to her.  Lettye Ruth passed away in 2019 at the age of 86, and our entire congregation has missed her so much ever since,” said Shaw.

The sanctuary building, as well as the organ and stained glass windows, has been standing for a century. In 1923, many buildings were constructed in the Canton community, and the Methodist Episcopal Church south of Canton, later to become the First United Methodist Church, completed a new sanctuary building. According to church historians, it would be the third such structure for the church to be built on the northwest corner of South Liberty and Academy Streets.  

The church was organized in 1836 and met in several locations.  In 1848, the congregation purchased the lot on that corner and built the first of three sanctuary buildings there.  The 1848 structure was constructed of brick and served the church for thirty years.  However, the lack of a proper foundation caused the walls to crack, and the building was demolished in 1878.  It was replaced with a wooden structure, which was used until 1922.  The following year, the new building that the community knows today was completed and dedicated to God’s work.

The sanctuary had a seating capacity of 325 and cost $75,000, or $1.3M if it were to be constructed today. Because of the cost, the trustees borrowed an additional $6,000 and took other measures to keep costs down, including relocating pews and the stained glass windows, as well as not purchasing an organ. 

However, when one sits in the beauty of the United Methodist church as the sun shines through the stained glass, it would be hard to imagine a service without the traditional organ.  

Faced with this situation, a group of ladies of the church formed the “Organ Circle,” and, over the next two years, raised enough funds to pay for the organ, which is still in use today. Even more interesting is the organ motor. When exploring the church, one might lay eyes on the motor of the instrument and read the date - 1913. The motor was bought used, and, while it might be the oldest item in the building, it still serves its purpose well. 

When walking through the sanctuary, one can’t help but notice the stained glass windows. What might come as a surprise is one of those windows is actually younger than the rest, which parishioners know due to the work of church member Vernon Nichols, Jr., who, in 1986, worked with important church historians to compile a historical timeline of the stained glass windows.

There are two types of stained glass. Opalescent is glass that one can’t see through, and  semi-opaque is usually a color mixed with white or another color, which allows one to partially see through it. John La Farge, who first developed opalescent stained glass, was responsible for the revival of the art of the medium in nineteenth century America. He was considered, in his own time, to be the most important American artist ever to have worked in this medium. His first window was constructed in 1879.

There are fourteen memorial windows at the First United Methodist Church of Canton, and most of them are in memory of more than one family. None has a complete genealogy, but each has bits of information that are of special interest. By gathering information from Bible records, church records, pamphlets, newspaper accounts, books, records at the Chancery Clerk’s office, cemetery markers, and talking with relatives and friends, a general history of the stained glass windows was understood. Unfortunately, church historians have been able to find nothing about where the windows were purchased, as many of their records were destroyed when the local parsonage burned on May 31, 1915.

Ten of the fourteen memorial windows in this church came out of the wooden structure that preceded the present church building. They were placed in the old church in the year 1897, during the pastorate of Rev. T.L. Mellen. These windows were placed in the present church when it was built in 1923. 

In the old church, there were three windows on each side of the sanctuary, and one in front, back of the choir and pulpit. This meant that only seven large stained glass windows came from the old church. Another was added, and they are so well matched that it is impossible to tell which one it was. The other memorial windows from the old church are located in the vestibule behind the choir and in the office of the secretary, all on the east and front side of the church. 

There are only three additional stained glass windows in the entire church, and these were installed in 1969. One is located on the third floor on the south side just off the balcony, and two are in the vestibule on the second floor just south of the sanctuary.

The history of each memorial window is being made a part of the church record and is being placed with the church history. Even with their long history, none of the windows has been damaged, and around 1984, a protective covering was installed on the outside of each window in the sanctuary. This protection was given by Hunter Henry as a memorial to his father and in honor of his mother, completed about one year before the death of his mother, Mrs. Helen H. Henry, in November 1985. 

History can be seen throughout the entire building. Several rooms still contain the original “push-button” light switches. The larger light fixtures in the sanctuary, which work on a wench and are lowered to the ground to replace the candles, now lightbulbs, are as old as the building itself. After one fell and broke, it was discovered that some church member had the foresight to purchase extra lights. A replacement, just as old as the rest, fixed the broken fixture.  

Roll-down partitions to cordon off the rear of the sanctuary are still in place, and in the original “Pastor’s Office,” there is picture molding from which to hang pictures instead of putting nails in the plaster.

According to church historians, the church was originally heated with coal burning fireplaces. Several of these fireplaces can still be seen in some rooms. A coal chute door is still in place on the north side of the building. The facility was equipped with air-conditioning in the 1950s, and the old pews were replaced with those in use today.  

In 1974, an Education Annex was added to the west side of the sanctuary building at a cost of $180,000.  Over the years, many changes and improvements have been made to the 100-year-old building, “but its beauty and service to God has remained unaltered.”

On Sunday, May 21, the members of First United Methodist Church will recognize the 100th anniversary of the completion of the church building with a Centennial Celebration during the 10:30 a.m. worship service.  Reverend David Lowery, pastor, will re-dedicate the building to the service of God and the furthering of His kingdom.  The history of the building will be discussed, along with the background of the eight massive stained glass windows.  Lunch will be served immediately following the service.  All members, former members and friends are invited to attend.