Mercer County PAGenWeb


Sharpsville 

First United Methodist Church

The Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest religions society in Sharpsville. The first preaching by Methodist ministers in this region was on the farm of William Fruit, whose tenant, William Hays, was a follower of the Methodist faith. This occurred about the year 1835. The place of meeting changed shortly afterward to the house of Andrew Byerly, where services were conducted for several years. A class had been formed soon after the first preaching was heard, and this was organized into a regular society in under the supervision of Andrew Rice, the first class-leader. Mr. Rice was succeeded by Andrew Byerly and Phineas Dunham. The class when first organized belonged to the Pittsburgh Conference. The next year, the Erie Conference being formed, the class was transferred to that.

The first preachers were Ensign B. Hill and R. Peck. The circuit was as the “Salem Circuit,” and belonged to the Meadville District. In 1837, the society became one of the constituents of the “Old Clarksville Circuit,” among the other preaching places of which were then Greenville, Clarksville, Orangeville, Charlestown, Big Bend and Keel Ridge.  Sharpsville remained in this circuit from 1837 to 1869, when it became a separate charge, under the pastorate of Rev. L. Wick. The first 

church edifice was erected in 1858, under the pastorate of Rev. R. A. Caruthers. It was a frame structure 30x40 feet in dimensions, and stood on Mercer Avenue.   

During the pastorate of Rev. John Perry, 1874-75, it was remodeled and enlarged. For over ten years prior to the erection of this church building the society worshiped in a school house belonging to the first  furnace established in Sharpsville.  The membership of the church is 201 at present [1888]. Their condition is good.  Following is a list of pastors since the establishment of the Sharpsville congregation as a separate charge, with term of the service of each: Rev. L. Wick, 1869-70; Rev. J. E. Johnson, 1870-71; Rev. J. H. Merchant, 1871-73; Rev. John Perry, 1874-75; Rev. W. H. Mossman, 1876; Rev. F. Fair, 1877-78; Rev. O. W. Darrow, 1879-81; Rev. J. A. Ward, 1882-84; Rev. S. M. Clark, 1885-86, and Rev. A. O. Stone, the present pastor, who began ministry in 1887.

The History of Mercer County, 1888, pages 451-452.  


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