The original Protestant Church in Hillsboro was a one-room log cabin, used as a community meeting center that stood beside the old Potosi road, where it passed through the Western part of the town. To the South of the meeting house lay the oldest house in Hillsboro, which was built in 1839, the year the county seat was moved from Herculaneum. To the North was the home of Governor Fletcher, built in 1851, and later known as the Honey house and the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ware Evans.
No one knows the exact date the building was erected, but it is presumed to be soon after 1839. It is a known fact that services were still being held there in 1866, by Rev. James J. Wilson, who converted the building into a residence.
One of Hillsboro’s oldest inhabitants remembers when he was a boy, seeing a pile of logs down in the valley near the big spring, and being told they had been a part of the old log church. Since Mr. Boughton was born in 1888, it may be surmised that the historic building was torn down sometime within the twenty years previous.
The present church was given the ground, on which it stands by Samuel A. Reppy and Rachael, his wife, on the 30th day of March, 1870. The transaction is recorded in the Jefferson County Land Record, Volume 3, page 72.
It was expressly stipulated that this was to be a Union Church where each of four denominations, Northern and Southern Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist congregations were to hold services once a month. If there were five Sundays, preachers from any other churches were welcome.
Trustees who received the property were: John L. Thomas for the Methodist Episcopal Church South, Sullivan Frazier for the Baptists, Joel Prior Booth for the Presbyterians, and R. W. McMullin for the Methodist Episcopal Church North.
The following day, March 31, 1870, this notice appeared: “All those who subscribed to the Union Church of Hillsboro will be requested to pay the whole amount by the 15th of April. So hurry up and get your money together.” Signed, Sullivan Frazier, collector of the church fund. The same notice continued, “The contract for building the Hillsboro Union Church has been let to Charles Hemme and Charles Swingler for the sum of $1600.00. The work is to be finished during the summer.”
Building the new Union Church was begun immediately. In the Jefferson Democrat for April 8, 1870, this item appeared: “Persons who desire to contribute toward building the Union Church in Hillsboro, by hauling, are informed that they may do so by applying to Mr. Swingler, the contractor. Such donations will be thankfully received.”
The same newspaper announced, May 13th, 1870, “On Thursday next, the cornerstone of the Protestant Union Church at Hillsboro will be laid with proper rites and ceremonies. Ministers from four denominations are expected, Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist, North and South. The exercises will begin at 2:00 o’clock on the ground.”
That the work was completed on schedule was attested to in an article dated August 12, 1870 in the Democrat. It was entitled “Completion of the Union Church” and read: “The Protestant Union Church of Hillsboro is nearly completed, and will be dedicated on the 5th of next month…Each denomination will be represented in the ceremonies…It is expected that we will have one of the grandest and most imposing ceremonies ever performed in this county. The speakers will be announced in a short time. Good music, both vocal and instrumental, will be rendered. All desiring to participate in the music are requested to report to R. W. McMullin. Come one, come all.” It was signed by the program committee, William H. Thomas, Samuel A. Reppy and Peter Jenni.
The ceremony must have come up to expectations, because the Sept. 9th issue of the Jefferson Democrat proclaimed: “The Union Church of Hillsboro, pursuant to notice, was dedicated to the service of God, in due form on Monday, the 5th of September, 1870.
The following named ministers were present and participating in the exercises: D. J. Marquis of the Methodist Episcopal South, W. N. Darnell of the Northern Methodist Church, J. C. Downer and T. K. Hedges of the Presbyterian Church, W. Stephens and Sullivan Frazier of the Baptist Church.
The Invocation was given by the Rev. Mr. Downer, the congregation sang “Beautiful River”, and the choir sang “Joy to the World” and “Wake the Song of Jubilee.” Rev. Marquis read the sixth chapter of Chronicles, Rev. Downer preached the sermon and Rev. Stephens gave the prayer. Mr. Darnell then informed the congregation that to him had been assigned the important duty of dedication of the House of God by prayer.
But before this could be done, the church must be paid for! The total cost of the building, furniture and bell was $2259.55 of which $1307.50 had been raised by subscription. This left $952.05 yet to be raised. He then made a stirring appeal to those present. John L. Thomas and Samuel A. Reppy gave $150.00 each; Peter Jenni and R. W. McMullin $100.00 each; F. N. Stone and J. J. Williams $50.00 each; William H. Thomas $35.00; O. D. Bittic, Dr. C. Pipkin, Samuel L. Hicks, Charles Swingler, Charles Hemme and Abner Green $25.00 each. Several others subscribed fifteen, ten and five dollars. When the hat was passed, the amount donated exceeded the deficit by $80.25. The church was then dedicated to God, and the services were closed by singing of the Doxology.
The editor went on to say, “This church is one of the finest in the county, is built compactly and of good material. A bell of some 250 pounds in weight has been purchased and suspended in the cupola. A beautiful chandelier hangs from the center of the ceiling. Carpets are laid upon the aisles and pulpit. The room is light and airy, containing eleven windows.”
Those eleven windows, as I first remember them, in 1894 or 1895, were of clear glass. About ten years later, a committee of three was appointed to redecorate the interior. They were Mrs. Octavia Buchannan (known to everybody as “Aunt Tave”), Robert Kleinschmidt’s mother Mrs. Theresa Kleinschmidt, and my Mother Mrs. Lily Booth. These three women accomplished the stupendous task of covering all the window panes with Fensterfarbe, a transparent gelatin-like substance that when rolled onto the clear windows, gave the appearance of stained glass. The lighting effect in the sanctuary was enhanced by the rich hues of purple, gold, red, green and blue.
By the year 1903, all traces had been lost of the chandelier that Mr. McMullin had described as “Suspended from the ceiling.” But the church was still lit by coal oil lamps bracketed to the walls between the windows. For additional lighting, two tall coal oil lamps were placed on either side of the pulpit. The stands that held them were made by Charles Hemme who also made the pulpit.
The interior of the one-room church was ceiled throughout, and as time passed, the wood became darkened by smoke from the two wood stoves. There was no other source of heat and the floors were cold. Elderly folks carried hot bricks wrapped in newspapers to keep their feet warm, but they always got cold before church was over.
For more than sixty years the building remained the same. Then in 1931, the east wing was added. In the early 1940’s Colonel Joseph E. Vollmar donated the beautiful stained glass windows which beautify the church today. The following names, members of all four denominations, are placed on the memorial windows: The McMullin and the Honey families; Fred Vollmar, Sr. and Fred Vollmar, Jr.; M. C. Matthes, Jr.; Rev. and Mrs. George Steel; Dr. and Mrs. Brewster; Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Kleinschmidt; Mr. and Mrs. John F. Williams; Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Williams; Aunt Tave Buchannan; Mrs. F. W. Reinimer; Mrs. Lily Booth; Ware Evans; Charles Kleinschmidt, Jr.; Raymond Gasche; W. J. A. Schubel; Mrs. Jennie Bechler; S. A. Reppy and Rachael P. Reppy; W. G. and Ella M. Hearst; and Joseph King.
Northern Methodist members could no longer raise the money to pay their share of the financial obligations, so their interest was purchased by the Baptists, who then held services twice a month. Methodists and Presbyterians attempted to combine forces by establishing a Community Church. They drew up a constitution and by-laws, and called the pastor of the Community Church at De Soto, and later, the Rev. Francis P. Cook and Rev. Harold Fry, under whose guidance the first Vacation Bible School at Hillsboro was initiated.
The Community Church satisfied a very definite need among its members, until it was dissolved by Rev. Clarence Burton, who was the Methodist District Superintendent at the time. This left the two small congregations to struggle along as best they might.
In 1953, the Baptists withdrew to build their own sanctuary, and sold their interests to the Methodists and Presbyterians. Again the two churches decided to carry on together. Since there was no Women’s Society of Christian Service, all Methodist women who were missionary minded, were active in the Presbyterian Guild. The choir, made up of singers from both denominations, was ably directed by Mrs. Rebecca Frazer with Mrs. Betty Baker at the organ.
Brother J. W. McKinney preached for us as long as he was able, and then came Richard Mallette and James Fullbright. Our District Superintendent, Dr. Roy L. Brown, humorously described us as “that double-jointed church.” But all the members, especially the Methodists, were well satisfied with the plan, sharing local expenses, while each church maintained its own denominational affiliation.
Six years passed, during which the membership of both the Methodists and the Presbyterians had grown. Then, in 1959, the Presbyterians decided to withdraw and build a church of their own. Our pastor, Rev. Glenn Mangam, encouraged the Methodists to buy the Presbyterians’ share. The task seemed almost insurmountable at the time, but at the end of the Conference year our numbers had doubled, and Brother Mangam had organized us into a full-fledged Methodist Church.
Throughout the hundred years of its existence, the present church has continued to grow. In 1955, the basement was extended to include a Fellowship Hall, Sunday School classrooms, and a modern kitchen was added a few years later.
The sanctuary has been redecorated; it now presents a scene of restful beauty, providing an atmosphere that is conducive to worship. A new organ has replaced the one that had been in use since 1953. It adds immeasurably to the quality of the music in what has always been known as a singing church.
At the turn of the last century, this was the only church in Hillsboro. Now there are several churches of many denominations, and we cooperate with all of them in the ecumenical spirit of brotherhood.
