The church on the corner
The first building of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Starkville, erected in 1839, was a two story brick building with an open fire place. By the 1850s the walls had become so badly cracked it was propped up with heavy timbers. Soon deemed unsafe, the building was torn down.
The second church was a larger frame building erected on the old foundation. It had columns around three sides. In 1885, the third building was built as a large gothic style with vaulted ceilings. After much debate, it was decided the church would face south, a tradition that carries on today.
The present building was built on the site of the previous 3 in 1926. With growing membership and activities, the education building was built in 1964 and dedicated after its final payment in 1973. The Christian Life Center was added in 1996.
Expanding
With the construction of the Education building in the 1960s, Sunday School classes had more room to grow. Some Sunday School classes created in the expansion still meet today!
The bottom floor is now home to Weekday Ministries, a full service day care.
Children
Sunday School
One room in the education building is painted like a town in Jesus' time. It helps bring the children right into the stories, especially during VBS in the summer!