Snapshots of History: Mount Ayr Baptist Church
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Mount Ayr’s Baptist Church and parsonage about 1910.
By Mike Avitt
This week’s picture is from a circa 1910 postcard showing the First Baptist Church and parsonage in Mount Ayr.
The church was located at 201 W. Jefferson but faced Fillmore Street. The parsonage was located at 105 W. Jefferson and this residence was replaced with the current ranch-style home in 1963.
The November 30, 1915 Record-News tells us the original Baptist Church was built in 1872 with Rev. C. Tilbury as pastor.
The congregation outgrew the old building and built a brick church across the street east in 1915.
Howard Tedford, who sold the lot where the new church was built, was now the owner of the old church building and property at 201 W. Jefferson. In January 1916, Tedford sold the former Baptist Church to carpenter Paul Smith. Mr. Smith would modify his new house with plans provided by Ernest O. Brostrom, the architect who designed the new Baptist Church.
As Mr. Smith continued work to convert the old church into a residence, his family had moved in by June 1916. In October 1919, the C. W. Lent family moved into the former church building. They would stay one year.
In late August 1920, Dr. L. H. Ahrens, of Cass County, was in Mount Ayr looking for a location for his practice. His first office was upstairs at 120 W. Madison (north side of the square) and in September 1920 he purchased the Lent property at 201 W. Jefferson. Dr. Ahrens’ family arrived in early October.
During the winter of 1920-21, Dr. Ahrens converted the upstairs of his house into a private hospital. Babies were being born there as early as March 1921.
Dr. Ahrens, practicing as a physician and surgeon, hired Dr. Lela Sash in November 1921 to deal mostly with women and children. Dr. Sash specialized in osteopathy (the American Medical Association deemed osteopathy as “unethical” in 1923).
In 1923, Dr. Ahrens built an office building south of his hospital to give him more space upstairs.
Dr. Ahrens announced in February 1924 his private hospital would be converted into a sanitarium. The doctor was asking fifteen to twenty dollars a week for patients to receive hydrotherapy, massage baths, electrotherapy, imported mineral water, physiotherapy, and X-ray diagnosis.
The changes made in 1924 did not succeed and Dr. Ahrens put his property up for auction in September 1924. Dr. L. H. Ahrens and his family moved to Fontanelle, Iowa (very near Cass County).
At the auction, the former hospital property was purchased by Andrew Ewing and John Jackson for $3,800. I don’t have any more information on the property until 1936.
The September 19, 1936 Mount Ayr Record-News relates a land transfer between Alma Z. Smith and Merl Whitmore with Mr. Whitmore being the recipient. The Whitmores retained ownership of the property until September 1, 1953. It was at this time Keith and Betty Cole took possession of the former church and hospital. They lived there for more than 50 years.
I don’t know if this is the oldest house in Mount Ayr, but it is the most historic house which is known to me.
There are many houses in Mount Ayr today which formerly served as parsonages.
I don’t know of any pastors today who live in a parsonage. If you do, let me know. I’m also looking for info on houses more than 140 years old. I will need some kind of documentation such as a dated photograph, dated newspaper clipping, etc.
