Published: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at 3:39 p.m. Last Modified: Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at 3:39 p.m.
A longtime landmark of the community of Cotton Plant, St. John's United Methodist Church will celebrate its Spring Festival on Saturday while also recognizing the church's organizational roots, which date back to 1844. The celebration will be held on the grounds and in the fellowship hall, and the sanctuary will be open for viewing.
The building's historic charm is reminiscent of the days when people came to church on horseback, in ox carts and by foot. Some traveled long distances on Saturday and camped out on the grounds overnight.
In those days, the women wore long dresses and wide-brimmed bonnets, and used paper fans to cool themselves in the stifling summer heat. The church's male and female members were required to enter through different doors and had to sit on opposite sides of the sanctuary. There also was a segregated area for slaves. Male leaders set the rules and scoffed at people who ignored them, such as the ignorant gentleman who escorted his female companion through the wrong door one Sunday.
Cotton Plant, settled in 1842, was a farming and cotton growing area. Star-Banner columnist David Cook has noted that Cotton Plant, located just west of Martel, was a thriving town in the late 1880s, with a population of about 1,000 at that time.
Officially founded in 1852 by Joseph P. Barco, St. John's congregation first met in a log cabin on a lot 1/4 mile northeast of the current location. The next building, erected on the current site, served as a schoolhouse and a church. In time, it began to lean to one side and, in 1892, was replaced by the present two-story frame building. The upper floor was often used for meetings by a local Masonic lodge, which helped pay for the church's construction.
Current members, particularly those who had a hand in the renovations, feel the church is more than just a building.
I think you become a part of it, said Leonard Pete Michael. I'd hate like everything for that church to fail. We can't let that happen.
A retired owner of a steel construction firm in South Florida, Michael, who moved here in 1988, became involved in repairs to the building's termite-infested foundation. Using five hydraulic jacks, steel reinforcing rods and concrete, he led a group of hardy men from the congregation to form a more lasting foundation.
I think another three or four months and it would have collapsed, Michael said. We'd have lost it if we hadn't shored it up and put in a new footing. The wall could have come right on through all the way to the ground. We caught it just in time. I could say it was my idea to fix it, but I don't think so. I think the Lord put me there. And there were a lot of people involved in it.
Visit link:
Keeping the faith for 170 years
- Update: No action taken after heated debate on church expansion in Nederland zoning drama - fox4beaumont.com - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Historic church in Lewiston to transform into brewery and restaurant - newscentermaine.com - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Way of Life Church to double worship space - communityimpact.com - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Church of Our Saviors 100-year legacy in Fond du Lac includes food pantry and music - fdlreporter.com - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Judge to rule on Sheetzs battle to demolish closed Sacred Heart Church building - MSN - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- First Baptist Church School to start $4.47M project downtown. See other projects. - The Advocate - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Texas Pastor Shares How God Led His Church To Build Affordable Housing Instead of a New Building - ChurchLeaders - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Planned 29-story Tempe skyscraper would protect historic church, former House of Tricks - The Arizona Republic - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Garden Grove moves forward with plan to build townhomes on Baptist church site - Los Angeles Times - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Naugatuck will pay downtown businesses hurt by ongoing construction to stay - CT Insider - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Church Receives Building Permit after 23-Year Wait - International Christian Concern - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- 'We made the choice to not give up': Project to rebuild historic Mayfield church advancing at 'excellent' pace - The Paducah Sun - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Church to thrift store: Kalispells 130-year-old building seeks renovation to preserve historic legacy - Daily Inter Lake - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Franklin Lakes father, son charged with theft by deception after church construction work - MSN - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Want to own a church? 99-year-old Canton church, contents to be auctioned Saturday - Canton Repository - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Massive bridge project just one month away in downtown Greenville - WYFF4 Greenville - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Church building has served the community for decades - The Times-Independent - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- 54-unit apartment complex in works near former St. John Cantius Church in Northampton - GazetteNET - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Financing in place for $250M uptown project; construction starting soon - The Business Journals - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Stone used at the Alamo came from San Antonio Zoo, study finds - San Antonio Express-News - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Archaeologists Dug Up a Parking Lot to Find the Remains of a Medieval ChurchSurrounded by Skeletons - Popular Mechanics - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Black Bottom neighborhood to get new marker. What to know about storied Nashville area - Tennessean - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Whats That Building? Site of the former St. Monica Roman Catholic Church - WBEZ Chicago - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Archaeologists In Germany Just Discovered The Remains Of A Medieval Church Beneath A Parking Lot - All That's Interesting - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Summerland building permits top $6.7M in construction value - Penticton Western News - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Historic Trinity Episcopal Church in the Vincentown Village Section of Southampton, Hit by Repetitive Floods, is Undertaking Monumental Project Dubbed... - March 1st, 2025 [March 1st, 2025]
- Michigan Basketball keeping an eye on next years roster construction as this season winds down - Maize n Brew - February 16th, 2025 [February 16th, 2025]
- Died: Wayne Myers, Missionary Who Taught Mexican Evangelicals to Live to Give - ChristianityToday.com - February 16th, 2025 [February 16th, 2025]
- Summerland church demolished to accommodate housing complex - Summerland Review - February 16th, 2025 [February 16th, 2025]
- Barre farmer offers relocation of former Zion Korean Church - The Recorder - January 21st, 2025 [January 21st, 2025]
- Christians fighting Muslims blocking church construction, face pressure to pay 'grease' - The Christian Post - January 13th, 2025 [January 13th, 2025]
- Volunteers Build a Place of Worship and Outreach in Brazil - Adventist Review - December 21st, 2024 [December 21st, 2024]
- Construction to begin next year on Virginia Techs West Falls Church campus redevelopment - FFXnow - December 21st, 2024 [December 21st, 2024]
- 8 departments called to fire and explosions at structure on Church Road in Town of Jackson, WI - washingtoncountyinsider.com - December 21st, 2024 [December 21st, 2024]
- FOLLOWUP: Admiral Church looks ahead to new temporary home while current site is transformed - West Seattle Blog - December 21st, 2024 [December 21st, 2024]
- Year in Review: Tracking Construction at Cielo Condos in The Annex - Urban Toronto - December 21st, 2024 [December 21st, 2024]
- An urban treasure sits in the center of a construction zone. Is the Reconstruction-era tree being protected? - News Channel 5 Nashville - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- PEEKING INTO THE PAST: Badin Presbyterian Church - Stanly News & Press - November 29th, 2024 [November 29th, 2024]
- Construction commences on Trinity Churchs new educational and administrative building - What'sUpNewp - November 21st, 2024 [November 21st, 2024]
- Monmouth and Ocean's oldest churches hold secrets of the Shore waiting to be revealed - Asbury Park Press - November 21st, 2024 [November 21st, 2024]
- Church building to be transformed into housing for people experiencing homelessness - Yahoo! Voices - November 21st, 2024 [November 21st, 2024]
- Impact Church of The Woodlands' $6M learning center to bring more classrooms, cafe - Houston Chronicle - November 4th, 2024 [November 4th, 2024]
- Philippi Baptist Church, others building tiny homes for Hurricane Relief following Helene - WJBF-TV - November 4th, 2024 [November 4th, 2024]
- Continued exploration of Govan Old Church reveals early medieval building - The Past - November 4th, 2024 [November 4th, 2024]
- WashU to demolish church for new administrative building - The Business Journals - November 4th, 2024 [November 4th, 2024]
- Stoke-on-Trent's 'tin church' to be sold at auction on 150th anniversary - MSN - November 4th, 2024 [November 4th, 2024]
- San Antonio church is under construction five years after devastating roof collapse, flood - KSAT San Antonio - October 28th, 2024 [October 28th, 2024]
- Groom Construction & LDa Architecture Announce Completion of First Baptist Church of Wakeeld - Boston Real Estate Times - October 28th, 2024 [October 28th, 2024]
- Still no word from Vatican on whether to raze Manitowoc church built in 1885 - Herald Times Reporter - October 28th, 2024 [October 28th, 2024]
- Places to Save: Fall 2024 - The Hidden City Daily - October 28th, 2024 [October 28th, 2024]
- Visit Beloit turning former church space into event venue - Beloit Daily News - October 28th, 2024 [October 28th, 2024]
- Construction begins on controversial LDS temple in Cody - NonStop Local Billings - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Construction manager to be hired at former Toledo church site - WTVG - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Construction of Mormon temple begins in Cody - Q2 News - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Construction firm to turn old Dickinson church into new headquarters, mixed-use development - The Business Journals - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Kyiv's illegal Russian Churches: A Year After Investigation - . - September 20th, 2024 [September 20th, 2024]
- Top Permits: Historic New Orleans church building to transform into event space - New Orleans CityBusiness - September 7th, 2024 [September 7th, 2024]
- Early Black churchs 1870s San Antonio site will get reshaped by art - San Antonio Express-News - September 7th, 2024 [September 7th, 2024]
- Construction for Church of the Divine Mercy - GiveSendGo - September 7th, 2024 [September 7th, 2024]
- Small town church celebrating 100 years of its building and 150 years of its congregation - ktvo.com - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Items stolen from church that is being built in Eureka - Leader Publications - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Another Newark Main Street apartment project in the works, but this one isn't for students - The News Journal - August 25th, 2024 [August 25th, 2024]
- Metropolitan of Kinshasa visits Church under construction in honor of St Gerasimos the Hymnographer - Orthodox Times - Orthodoxtimes.com - May 27th, 2024 [May 27th, 2024]
- 140-year-old church in downtown Charlottesville trades hands - The Daily Progress - May 27th, 2024 [May 27th, 2024]
- Construction to begin soon on new Holy Rosary Church building - Davis Enterprise - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Haven Church raises first wall on new building - WQOW TV News 18 - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- After 14 years, Summerville church breaks ground for new building - The Post and Courier - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Crews working to repair Washington County church roof ripped apart by tornado - WTAE Pittsburgh - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- St. Paul in Olathe breaks ground on new church - The Leaven.com - May 18th, 2024 [May 18th, 2024]
- Construction of housing project in former Church to begin with parking dispute in the rearview - Concord Monitor - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Egypt: Christian homes attacked following rumours of planned church construction | ICN - Independent Catholic News - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Moscow Patriarchy launches church building mission at Novaya Zemlya - The Independent Barents Observer - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- When an old church sells its building | History | newspressnow.com - News-Press Now - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Waterford prepares for the heartbreak of seeing its oldest church come down - Journal Times - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Why did the church collapse? South African architect says he knows - theday.com - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Church rebuilds a year after highway demolition | News | thefacts.com - Brazosport Facts - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Near Chicago, a Lutheran Church Finds New Life at the YMCA - Church Leaders - April 25th, 2024 [April 25th, 2024]
- Apartments to Replace 19th Century Church in Williamsburg - Brownstoner - March 23rd, 2024 [March 23rd, 2024]
- Sale of church building to benefit two congregations - Central Penn Business Journal - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]
- Church-to-treatment center project up for approval in St. Cloud - Finance and Commerce - February 7th, 2024 [February 7th, 2024]