Snapshots of History: Mount Ayr UMC parsonage
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Remember when your preacher lived in a parsonage? Well, some still do, but the numbers are slowly going down. Let’s look at some current and former parsonages.
There is a trailer house in the parking lot of the New Life Family (Assembly of God) Church in Mount Ayr that was put in place when Rev. Butch Black was here. I’m guessing that was around 2005 and I assume the church’s current pastor, Paul Chishala, lives in the parsonage there.
The Free Methodist Church had a parsonage at 103 N. Tyler. Rev. Ward Campbell moved with his family to Mt. Ayr in 1954 and lived in the church basement until the parsonage was completed in early August 1955. I’m told it was Ward who built the house. Many other pastors lived there later with Rev. and Mrs. Charles Weiman being the last and they moved out around 12 years ago. I know the house was occupied after that but it is vacant today.
The house at 203 W. Monroe that we know as the First Christian Church parsonage, has a somewhat confusing history. The house was built by Dr. and Mrs. C. C. Lawhead. In 1957, A newspaper article says both Howard Rice and the Christian Church bought the Lawhead house for use as a parsonage. The Lawheads then moved to the Howard Rice property and Rice moved into the parsonage. Then, Rev. Clyde Mosher, the new First Christian Church pastor, moved into the former Howard Rice home. Oh, well, so long as everyone had a bed.
In February 1938, the Evangelical Church of Ringgold City deeded a lot to Mrs. Emma Calhoun; this lot contained the parsonage. In July 1938, Charles Bowen moved the Ringgold City parsonage to Mrs. Calhoun’s lot in Mount Ayr, but I don’t know where that lot is located. It was built in 1924.
On October 30, 1920, the Methodist Episcopal Church sold its parsonage at auction. The parsonage was a two-story, frame house that sat on the lot west of the church. The buyer was Mrs. C. M. Polen and in less than a month she had the building moved to 403 N. Taylor Street. The house is still there, but with the second story removed. This was often done when there was a fire upstairs.
In the meantime, the M. E. Church rented a house for their pastor. In 1922, the church purchased a house to be used as a parsonage. The exact address is not given, but it was on Madison St. and the newspaper says it was “ideally located.” It was likely the house Rev. Mike Maddy lives in and was purchased from Harry Laird. On January 25, 1951, it was announced the Methodist Church would build a new parsonage on the lot just west of the church. It would be a three-bedroom, one-story house with a full basement. A picture of that house appears with this week’s article. The sign out front says, “United Methodist Church – Larger Parish Office.” The parsonage is located at 303 W. Madison and I don’t know if it is occupied or not.
In 1988, a parsonage was built in Tingley and was financed by the United Methodist Churches at Wishard Chapel, Tingley, and Ellston. The same minister served all three churches. I don’t know when the last pastor moved out but the parsonage has been the site for church services since the UMC in Tingley closed in 2019. Reverend Jack and Marie Kendall moved in before the year was out. The parsonage is located south of the old church lot.
I skipped quite a few churches because I just didn’t have the info. But I will keep gathering news and this topic may be revisited.
