Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
now First United Methodist Church
304 S Race St., Urbana
The church is still at this location, but the 1858 building is no longer standing
Urbana’s Methodist Church holds the distinction of having the first church building in the county. Erected in 1840 from timber, the pastor and congregants cut themselves; the building measured 30x40 feet and was located on Elm St. Initially lacking windows and doors, the church was finally finished in 1843. In 1856, the congregants embarked upon a new church building project at the corner of Green and Race streets, the site of the present church. This brick structure with a tall white frame steeple was dedicated in 1858 by Reverend Peter Cartwright, a pioneer circuit rider and evangelist, and is the building illustrated in the 1858 Bowman map.
The church underwent another revision in 1892 to accommodate the growing congregation. This third version of the church was known as the Sheldon Memorial Church because it was made possible through a generous donation from Jarius and Eunice Sheldon in memory of their son Clarence C. Sheldon.
The present (2022) structure was constructed in 1925 and dedicated in 1927. It was designed by a local architect and a member of the Methodist congregation, Wymer M. Maxwell.