Published: July 01, 2008 07:48 am            

Red House Methodist celebrates 100 years

The Red House Methodist Church recently celebrated Its 100th anniversary. Following is a partial short history of the church. It was made available by Bonnie Hackworth Russell.

First Methodist Conference 

The first Methodist Conference in Kentucky met May 15-17, 1790, at Masterson’s Station near Lexington with Bishop Francis Asbury presiding. Out of this meeting, the Madison Circuit was formed. Two churches that were formed from this conference were Proctor’s Chapel and Pace’s Chapel.

Proctor’s Chapel

Proctor’s Chapel was started by Joseph Proctor on high ground up. from Boonesboro in 1790 and made out of log. In 1811, this church was moved to Lexington Pike on land given by John Bennett and the name was changed to Providence.

Pace’s Chapel

Pace’s Chapel was started by the Rev. John Pace, a Methodist Circuit rider who lived near the building and was very prominent and faithful in the work of the Madison Circuit that was formed in 1790. John Pace was ordained by Bishop Asbury at this First Methodist Conference at Masterson’s Station. The church building was located on the John Hawkins farm on Peacock Road and was built in 1831.

According to information disclosed, this land was to be returned to the Hawkins heirs when it was no longer used for a church. It was stated that John Pace and Bennett Tommy Harbor went to conference to try to secure a deed for this land, but as of this date we have found no record of a deed. The land was returned to the original owner. This same land on which Pace’s Chapel was built is one of two in this area that was taken on a land contract from Virginia and still belongs to descendants of that family, namely Talbot Todd.

At the Kentucky Conference conducted Sept. 19-24, 1900, in Nicholasville, Pace’s Chapel was discontinued.

Providence Church

Providence Church was closed in 1901 or 1902 and immediate steps were taken to work out a plan to merge the two groups and build a building near Red House. Things moved slowly until 1906 when William Harbor laid a stone foundation. A cornerstone was laid in September 1906 and tradition has it that several items were put there, one of them being money. In 1907, the Rev. John R. Peeples, with the help of Rev. E.G.B. Mann and Rev. E.E. Dawson, worked until a great revival came about and the church was built and dedicated on the first Sunday in May 1908. The first pastor was J.R. Peeples.

(The above information was taken from conference notes and information gathered by Ben R. Powell, former secretary and historian of the Red House United Methodist Church and the French Tipton papers in the Eastern Kentucky University Library.)

Red House Methodist

A deed of conveyance was made on Aug. 31, 1903, from Elihu Biggerstaff and his wife, ElIza BIggerstaff, to Harvey Cobb, Thomas Ellison, W.A. Williams, W.A. Langford and John Malonley (01’ Moberly), Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church South of Red House, for the sum of $200 as a place of divine worship only for the use of the ministry and the membership thereof and for the use of such religious denominations as the trustees of the said Methodist Episcopal Church South may designate. This was notarized by C.C. Cobb on Aug. 31, 1903, and recorded on Sept. 4, 1903.

(Taken from records in Madison County Courthouse)

April 26, 1987

On April 26, 1987, (Heritage Sunday) we were honored at Red House United Methodist Church to have George Pace the grandson of John Pace, who started Pace’s Chapel. He stopped inquiring the whereabouts of Pace’s Chapel and Cordell Russell was able to locate the area and took he and his lovely wife, Luvenia, to the spot where the church had been. Signs of the road leading to the church are still there as well as some of the rocks that appeared to be the foundation.

Additions to the church

In 1958 under the leadership of the Rev. Lawrence Buskirk, four Sunday School rooms were added to the original building.

Again in 1959 an addition was added to the back of the church when the Rev. Walter Lee Arnold was pastor. This was four more Sunday School rooms and a Fellowship Hall, including a kitchen. Some years later a bathroom was added. While Arnold was at Red House, we also celebrated 50 years of being at Red House. This was on May 14, 1958. On July 30, 1983, the property next door came up for sale and we bought it for $17,000. It consisted of an old store and buildings. After the debt was retired, the building was tom down and is now used for a parking lot.

Doylesville and Red House were on the Madison Circuit together and when they decided to go full time, the parsonage that they owned together on 5 Street in Richmond was sold. The money was divided and Red House received more than $3,000. The parsonage brought $7,659. A new one was built beside the church at Red House for an amount of $8,290.90. With donations and the sale of sorghum molasses sold by the church, the amount borrowed was paid off and the parsonage was dedicated.

A DVD was made and showed to the people gathered after the history was given. Many things happened through the years and some were shared by the people attending on this Sunday, May 18,2008.

Thank you Bonnie for sharing with us this interesting part of Madison’s Heritage.

        

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